While the video author is perfecting his method, I'll share my way of roasting chicken, which is very juicy and flavourful (and meets my dietary idiosyncrasies), while lacking the high salts and...
Exemplary
While the video author is perfecting his method, I'll share my way of roasting chicken, which is very juicy and flavourful (and meets my dietary idiosyncrasies), while lacking the high salts and added sugars that most store-bought will probably turn out to contain (I'll be curious to see if Alex will land on brining). Apologies there are no measurements, I do this by look and feel:
Mix a healthy amount of olive oil and butter with fine-chopped herbs (I usually use the classic combo of thyme, rosemary, parsley, sage; sometimes a little ginger; you can get creative), pepper, salt (I do omit salt, but most people wouldn't want to), and some fresh lemon zest, all to taste. Most would and should appreciate including crushed garlic, but I can't eat it so personally skip it.
(Optional: Slice a couple circles of lemon, and have 2 small bay leaves, if you want these flavours)
Bird (room-temp-ish) on pan, legs bound. I usually but not always use a glass pan; in any case, a vessel with walls a couple inches high to hold in the juices.
Coat the chicken in the oil/herb/spice mix. Most importantly, I get under the skin (where possible, at least around the breast) and make sure the bulk of the herbs+oil get stuffed between the meat and skin. If using them, place a lemon slice and bay leaf between the meat+skin of each breast (note, skin is dark but not crispy around the lemon slice, so maybe stick to zest if you love extra crispy skin). Sometimes I add an extra lemon wedge inside the cavity, but not always.
I follow the sear -> roast cooking method. Pre-heat to 450F and cook for 15~20 minutes, then drop the temp to 350 and cook 20 min/lb. If I'm using a very well-insulated oven, I crack the door for a moment to help the temp drop. Once done, rest before slicing.
(Optional: At around 50-60 minutes remaining, toss in some oiled+flavoured potatoes/carrots/etc. for roasting and to soak up the juice)
(Optional: I like to fine-sieve the pan juice into a small pot, and make a light gravy with flour)
Awesome. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I actually haven't ever cooked a roast chicken myself, since we usually just buy rotisserie ones which are ubiquitous here in Canada... and not that much...
Awesome. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I actually haven't ever cooked a roast chicken myself, since we usually just buy rotisserie ones which are ubiquitous here in Canada... and not that much more expensive than buying a raw, whole chicken either. But if I ever do decide to give roasting my own chicken a try, I'll try to remember to give your recipe a try!
The only thing I would probably do differently is dry brine the skin beforehand, since I've seen a few other recipes call for that, and the results have always looked well worth it... just like seasoning under the skin (like you do) is too. I've always wanted to try spatchcocking though, so I would probably give that a try as well.
If you've never roasted a chicken and you like eating roast chicken, you might enjoy the Thomas Keller way, because it's very low effort. At least what the internet tells me is the Thomas Keller...
If you've never roasted a chicken and you like eating roast chicken, you might enjoy the Thomas Keller way, because it's very low effort. At least what the internet tells me is the Thomas Keller way. Also the same way my sister (a trained chef) taught me.
Dry the bird off.
Salt and pepper all over, including the inside. No oil or anything else.
Roast at 450F for 50-60 minutes.
You're done. Super simple, and frankly better than any other roasting method I've tried.
I like to salt the bird the day before and leave it in the fridge on a rack to let the salt soak in and let the skin dry out some more (dry brining). I also use a leave-in thermometer set to 155 to make sure I always cook to the right doneness. You can also throw some fresh herbs in the pan drippings after you're done roasting, then baste the oil on top. These are just extras though; it should come out fine without any of these.
The first result for "Thomas Keller roast chicken" shows that is indeed his recipe. Interesting that it could be so simple! However, it looks like he actually wet brines, then air dries the...
A slightly more complicated (but still rather easy) recipe I quite like is the Judy Rodgers's Zuni Cafe roast chicken recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015770-zuni-cafe-chicken
I have leftover rotisserie chicken in my fridge as we speak, and made a sandwich with some this morning, so the timing of this video was pretty funny. :P Costco rotisserie chicken is pretty damn...
I have leftover rotisserie chicken in my fridge as we speak, and made a sandwich with some this morning, so the timing of this video was pretty funny. :P
Costco rotisserie chicken is pretty damn good, as in my local grocery store's... but I still think Swiss Chalet (a Canadian chain restaurant) is the best. Ever since we introduced my American friends to Swiss Chalet a few years ago, now every time they come up here to Canada it's the very first thing they ask to eat after they arrive. The chicken itself is not always the absolute best of the best, but their dipping sauce is what makes it so special. So if you ever visit Canada, I highly recommend giving Swiss Chalet a try. You won't regret it. :)
p.s. Kenny Rogers Roasters used to be pretty dang good too, with its wood-fired rotisserie, but sadly they are defunct in North America now. :(
We regularly use the Costco rotisserie as the base for Pesto Chicken Salad with my wife's homemade pesto for weekly meal prep when we don't feel like cooking. Either make a sandwich out of it or...
We regularly use the Costco rotisserie as the base for Pesto Chicken Salad with my wife's homemade pesto for weekly meal prep when we don't feel like cooking. Either make a sandwich out of it or toss it on some good crackers.
I know this is old, but I'll just throw in my two cents on chicken. I used to eat quite a lot of chicken, so I have some degree of experimentation on it. In my opinion, there are only two really...
I know this is old, but I'll just throw in my two cents on chicken.
I used to eat quite a lot of chicken, so I have some degree of experimentation on it. In my opinion, there are only two really major factors that go into making some really good chicken. The first is making sure you have a really good seasoning to go with it. I know this will be controvercial, but chicken doesn't actually taste that great by itself. Just try eating it unseasoned and you'll get what I mean. How you season it is very much up to you, but I particularly liked a mix of garlic, rosemary, parsley, oregano, course ground black pepper, and of course a bit of salt. Fresh herbs make all the difference.
The second important aspect is how it's cooked. The best way to do it is sous vide; it's practically foolproof and will give you consistantly excellent texture. But that method has drawbacks; you will have to butcher the chicken before cooking it because you can't sous vide a whole bird properly, and the process tends to alter the flavors of the seasonings. With that in mind, if you're trying to get something like a roast chicken, the best option is to braise it in a closed container along with some chicken stock. If you also want crispy skin, stick it in a ripping hot broiler for a bit. You may want to spatchcock it first, but I never did.
I bought a Costco rotisserie chicken yesterday, they're delicious. BUT our little dog, who'll eat almost anything, won't touch Costco chicken. I wish I knew why; does he know something we don't?
I bought a Costco rotisserie chicken yesterday, they're delicious. BUT our little dog, who'll eat almost anything, won't touch Costco chicken. I wish I knew why; does he know something we don't?
While the video author is perfecting his method, I'll share my way of roasting chicken, which is very juicy and flavourful (and meets my dietary idiosyncrasies), while lacking the high salts and added sugars that most store-bought will probably turn out to contain (I'll be curious to see if Alex will land on brining). Apologies there are no measurements, I do this by look and feel:
(Optional: Slice a couple circles of lemon, and have 2 small bay leaves, if you want these flavours)
Bird (room-temp-ish) on pan, legs bound. I usually but not always use a glass pan; in any case, a vessel with walls a couple inches high to hold in the juices.
Coat the chicken in the oil/herb/spice mix. Most importantly, I get under the skin (where possible, at least around the breast) and make sure the bulk of the herbs+oil get stuffed between the meat and skin. If using them, place a lemon slice and bay leaf between the meat+skin of each breast (note, skin is dark but not crispy around the lemon slice, so maybe stick to zest if you love extra crispy skin). Sometimes I add an extra lemon wedge inside the cavity, but not always.
I follow the sear -> roast cooking method. Pre-heat to 450F and cook for 15~20 minutes, then drop the temp to 350 and cook 20 min/lb. If I'm using a very well-insulated oven, I crack the door for a moment to help the temp drop. Once done, rest before slicing.
(Optional: At around 50-60 minutes remaining, toss in some oiled+flavoured potatoes/carrots/etc. for roasting and to soak up the juice)
(Optional: I like to fine-sieve the pan juice into a small pot, and make a light gravy with flour)
(Optional: Keep the bones for broth!)
Awesome. Thanks for sharing your recipe! I actually haven't ever cooked a roast chicken myself, since we usually just buy rotisserie ones which are ubiquitous here in Canada... and not that much more expensive than buying a raw, whole chicken either. But if I ever do decide to give roasting my own chicken a try, I'll try to remember to give your recipe a try!
The only thing I would probably do differently is dry brine the skin beforehand, since I've seen a few other recipes call for that, and the results have always looked well worth it... just like seasoning under the skin (like you do) is too. I've always wanted to try spatchcocking though, so I would probably give that a try as well.
If you've never roasted a chicken and you like eating roast chicken, you might enjoy the Thomas Keller way, because it's very low effort. At least what the internet tells me is the Thomas Keller way. Also the same way my sister (a trained chef) taught me.
I like to salt the bird the day before and leave it in the fridge on a rack to let the salt soak in and let the skin dry out some more (dry brining). I also use a leave-in thermometer set to 155 to make sure I always cook to the right doneness. You can also throw some fresh herbs in the pan drippings after you're done roasting, then baste the oil on top. These are just extras though; it should come out fine without any of these.
The first result for "Thomas Keller roast chicken" shows that is indeed his recipe. Interesting that it could be so simple! However, it looks like he actually wet brines, then air dries the chicken for 2 days, for the roast chicken recipe he uses for his restaurant, Bouchon (recipe text here).
A slightly more complicated (but still rather easy) recipe I quite like is the Judy Rodgers's Zuni Cafe roast chicken recipe: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015770-zuni-cafe-chicken
I have leftover rotisserie chicken in my fridge as we speak, and made a sandwich with some this morning, so the timing of this video was pretty funny. :P
Costco rotisserie chicken is pretty damn good, as in my local grocery store's... but I still think Swiss Chalet (a Canadian chain restaurant) is the best. Ever since we introduced my American friends to Swiss Chalet a few years ago, now every time they come up here to Canada it's the very first thing they ask to eat after they arrive. The chicken itself is not always the absolute best of the best, but their dipping sauce is what makes it so special. So if you ever visit Canada, I highly recommend giving Swiss Chalet a try. You won't regret it. :)
p.s. Kenny Rogers Roasters used to be pretty dang good too, with its wood-fired rotisserie, but sadly they are defunct in North America now. :(
We regularly use the Costco rotisserie as the base for Pesto Chicken Salad with my wife's homemade pesto for weekly meal prep when we don't feel like cooking. Either make a sandwich out of it or toss it on some good crackers.
I know this is old, but I'll just throw in my two cents on chicken.
I used to eat quite a lot of chicken, so I have some degree of experimentation on it. In my opinion, there are only two really major factors that go into making some really good chicken. The first is making sure you have a really good seasoning to go with it. I know this will be controvercial, but chicken doesn't actually taste that great by itself. Just try eating it unseasoned and you'll get what I mean. How you season it is very much up to you, but I particularly liked a mix of garlic, rosemary, parsley, oregano, course ground black pepper, and of course a bit of salt. Fresh herbs make all the difference.
The second important aspect is how it's cooked. The best way to do it is sous vide; it's practically foolproof and will give you consistantly excellent texture. But that method has drawbacks; you will have to butcher the chicken before cooking it because you can't sous vide a whole bird properly, and the process tends to alter the flavors of the seasonings. With that in mind, if you're trying to get something like a roast chicken, the best option is to braise it in a closed container along with some chicken stock. If you also want crispy skin, stick it in a ripping hot broiler for a bit. You may want to spatchcock it first, but I never did.
I bought a Costco rotisserie chicken yesterday, they're delicious. BUT our little dog, who'll eat almost anything, won't touch Costco chicken. I wish I knew why; does he know something we don't?
Could just be some of the spices they use aren't appealing to your puppers. My dog happily wolfs down Costco rotisserie chicken. :P
New video in the series:
Is This The Best ROTISSERIE CHICKEN In The World ?