This recipe is adapted from an Anthony Bourdain recipe – Serves 4
“Everyone should know how to roast a chicken. It's a life skill that should be taught to small children at school. The ability to properly prepare a moist yet thoroughly cooked bird, with nicely crisp skin, should be a hallmark of good citizenry—an obligation to your fellow man. Everyone walking down the street should be reasonably confident that the random person next to them is prepared, if called upon, to roast a chicken.”
~Anthony Bourdain
Ingredients
- 1 locally sourced chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- Sea salt to taste
- 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 10 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 1/2 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
- 1 cup dry white wine
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, or 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Special Equipment
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 450˚F.
- Rinse the bird, pat dry, then rub inside and out with salt. Under the breast and thigh skin, stuff a 1/2-tablespoon knob of butter. Into the bird’s cavity, stuff the thyme, bay leaf, and lemon wedges.
- Truss the chicken with butcher’s twine OR, cut a small hole in the flesh just below the chicken’s legs, and tuck each leg carefully into that hole.
- Place the bird in a roasting pan and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, basting the bird two or three times. Reduce the oven’s heat to 300˚F and continue to roast, basting frequently, for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the bird is done: the juices should run clear when you poke the fat part of the thigh with the paring knife.
- Remove the bird from the oven, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest 15 minutes. Remove the breasts and legs from the carcass, reserving everything. Skim and discard as much surface fat from the pan juices as possible. Put the roasting pan on the stove over high heat. With a wooden spoon, stir in the wine and lemon juice, scraping the pan to dissolve the browned bits on the bottom. Bring this mixture to a boil, and then cook until it is reduced by half. Add the stock, stir, bring to a boil, and reduce again by half. Remove from the heat and sieve the mixture into a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the last 2 tablespoons butter, one at a time, until the sauce is glossy and thick. Add the parsley and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
- To serve, portion the chicken onto plates, ladle some sauce over the chicken, and serve the remaining sauce in a bowl or gravy boat.
