Best Alice Waters Roast Chicken Recipes

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MY FAVORITE SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN



My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken image

Editors' Note: We love Thomas Keller's roast chicken recipe so much that we asked him to share his favorite roast turkey recipe as well. Check out My Favorite Roast Turkey.

Provided by Thomas Keller

Categories     Dinner     Chicken     Poultry     Roast     Quick & Easy     Sugar Conscious     Wheat/Gluten-Free     Peanut Free     Tree Nut Free     Soy Free     No Sugar Added

Yield 2-4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 5

One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)
Unsalted butter
Dijon mustard

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.
  • Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.
  • Now, salt the chicken-I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.
  • Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone-I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
  • Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip-until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.

CHEZ PANISSE BRINE FOR PORK, CHICKEN AND TURKEY



Chez Panisse Brine for Pork, Chicken and Turkey image

This is a recipe I got from my brother. I haven't tried it yet, but he absolutely raved about it. Preparation time does not include brining time. Author's notes: Leave it to Alice Waters and her crew at Chez Panisse to come up with a recipe that's so simple and so brilliant it brings out the best in chicken, pork, or turkey. They've created a brine with sugar, salt, and just a few seasonings that infuse loads of flavor into the meats. To test how well the brine worked, I cooked two chickens side by side. One had been soaked in the brine for 24 hours, the other was simply roasted. Both cavities were filled with Italian parsley, preserved lemons, and onions, and cooked in a 400-degree oven. The difference was remarkable. While the regular roasted chicken had a deeper, richer skin color, the brined chicken was plump and juicy, albeit a little anemic in color. But the flavor was amazing and it was the moistest chicken I can ever remember eating. The next day I warmed the leftovers and the regular chicken was even drier and had that typical day-old taste, but the brined chicken still tasted moist and fresh. To achieve the browned skin you'll have to leave the chicken in the oven a little longer, but the meat will still be moist. We also tried a pork roast, brined for three days, and it came out fabulous, too. The leftovers were particularly good for sandwiches the next day. The recipe makes enough brine for a large turkey. If brining only one chicken or a pork roast, cut the recipe in half. Source: The Secrets of Success Cookbook by Michael Bauer

Provided by UnknownChef86

Categories     Whole Chicken

Time 5m

Yield 1 batch of brine

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 1/2 gallons cold water
2 cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
2 bay leaves, torn into pieces
1 bunch fresh thyme or 4 tablespoons dried thyme
1 whole head of garlic, peeled
5 whole allspice berries, crushed
4 juniper berries, crushed

Steps:

  • Place the water in a large pot that can easily hold the liquid and the meat you intend to brine. Add all the ingredients and stir for a minute or so until the sugar and salt dissolve. Refrigerate poultry in the brine for 24 hours; pork for 3 days. If the meat floats to the top, use a plate or other weight to keep it completely submerged in the brine.
  • To cook chicken: Stuff the cavity with onions, lemon wedges, and herbs such as thyme, parsley, and rosemary. Rub the skin with oil to help browning. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. (Salt isn't needed because of the brine.) Cook uncovered in a 400-degree oven until done, about 1 hour and 15 minutes for a 3 1/2- to 4 pound chicken.
  • To cook turkey: Stuff the cavity with lemons, herbs, and onions, if desired. Rub the skin with oil and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Cook uncovered in a 400-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes per pound until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh registers at least 165 degrees.
  • To cook a boneless pork roast: Sprinkle the roast with pepper and herbs such as sage, thyme, or tarragon, if desired. Roast uncovered in a 400-degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature reaches 150 to 160 degrees.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 819.1, Fat 0.2, Sodium 226638, Carbohydrate 210, Fiber 0.7, Sugar 199.9, Protein 1.9

BRINE FOR PORK, CHICKEN, AND TURKEY



Brine for Pork, Chicken, and Turkey image

From Chef Alice Waters. This makes for some crazy good, moist meat. If brining only one chicken or a pork roast, cut the recipe in half, if doing turkey...use the whole batch!

Provided by loveleesmile

Time P1DT1h30m

Yield 6-9 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 8

2 1/2 gallons cold water
2 cups kosher salt
1 cup sugar
2 bay leaves, torn into pieces
1 bunch fresh thyme or 4 tablespoons dried thyme
1 whole head of garlic, peeled
5 allspice berries, crushed
4 juniper berries, crushed

Steps:

  • Place the water in a large pot that can easily hold the liquid and the meat you intend to brine.
  • Add all the ingredients and stir for a minute or so until the sugar and salt dissolve.
  • Refrigerate poultry in the brine for 24 hours; pork for 3 days. If the meat floats to the top, use a plate or other weight to keep it completely submerged in the brine.
  • To cook chicken: Stuff the cavity with onions, lemon wedges, and herbs such as thyme, parsley, and rosemary. Rub the skin with oil to help browning. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. (Salt isn't needed because of the brine.) Cook uncovered in a 400-degree oven until done, about 1 hour and 15 minutes for a 3-1/2 to 4-pound chicken.
  • To cook turkey: Stuff the cavity with lemons, herbs, and onions, if desired. Rub the skin with oil and sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Cook uncovered in a 400-degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes per pound until the internal temperature at the thickest part of the thigh registers at least 165 degrees.
  • To cook a boneless pork roast: Sprinkle the roast with pepper and herbs such as sage, thyme, or tarragon, if desired. Roast uncovered in a 400-degree oven for about 12 to 15 minutes per pound or until the internal temperature reaches 150 to 160 degrees.

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