Roast Chicken with Garlic Sauce
This is one of my favorite, quick whole chicken recipes, adapted from the amazing chefs on Food52.
The night before you're going to cook, remove the chicken from its packaging and pat it dry, and then leave the raw chicken in the fridge uncovered. This will give you extra crispy skin. About 45 minutes before cooking, take it out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature.
Drizzle some olive oil onto the head of garlic and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Place in a small, oven-safe ramekin.
Heat the oven to 475 degrees and put your dutch oven or enameled heavy cast-iron pan inside to heat up. Make sure you're using a pan that can transfer from stove top to oven, and if it's cast iron, that it's enameled. Use paper towels to make sure the inside of the cavity and the outside of the chicken are dry. Drizzle a little oil inside and out, rub it in, and season all over with salt and pepper. Place the lemon halves inside the cavity, and if you feel so inclined, truss the legs.
Open the oven and transfer the chicken and the garlic-filled ramekin into the pre-heated pan quickly, and then shut the oven--don't open the door for at least 45 minutes. After the 45 minute ticker has past, remove the garlic and start to test for doneness on the chicken every 5-8 minutes: the chicken is cooked when you can pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a sharp knife and the juices run clear. Or, if using a meat thermometer, when the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches reaches 160.
Transfer the chicken to a carving board, remove the lemon halves, and tent it with aluminum foil to retain some heat. Let it rest while you make the pan sauce. The temperature should rise another 5 degrees on its own, and the juices will re-establish themselves in the meat.
Put on a kettle to boil some water. Place the pan from the roasted chicken pan over medium-high heat, and add the butter to the pan drippings. When it melts, add the thyme, rosemary and squeeze out the garlic cloves from their encasing, and squeeze out the lemon juice from the cooked lemon halves. Cook for about a minute, and add the wine and scrape up all the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let this all cook down for 2 minutes, and then add 1/2 - 1 cup of boiling water, a little more salt, and let it reduce for another 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Taste, adjust seasoning and thickness (add more water to thin sauce if desired.)
After the chicken has rested for 10 min it's ready to be carved. Serve with the sauce poured over top or with individual ramekins for dipping.
Ingredients
Directions
The night before you're going to cook, remove the chicken from its packaging and pat it dry, and then leave the raw chicken in the fridge uncovered. This will give you extra crispy skin. About 45 minutes before cooking, take it out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature.
Drizzle some olive oil onto the head of garlic and wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Place in a small, oven-safe ramekin.
Heat the oven to 475 degrees and put your dutch oven or enameled heavy cast-iron pan inside to heat up. Make sure you're using a pan that can transfer from stove top to oven, and if it's cast iron, that it's enameled. Use paper towels to make sure the inside of the cavity and the outside of the chicken are dry. Drizzle a little oil inside and out, rub it in, and season all over with salt and pepper. Place the lemon halves inside the cavity, and if you feel so inclined, truss the legs.
Open the oven and transfer the chicken and the garlic-filled ramekin into the pre-heated pan quickly, and then shut the oven--don't open the door for at least 45 minutes. After the 45 minute ticker has past, remove the garlic and start to test for doneness on the chicken every 5-8 minutes: the chicken is cooked when you can pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a sharp knife and the juices run clear. Or, if using a meat thermometer, when the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh reaches reaches 160.
Transfer the chicken to a carving board, remove the lemon halves, and tent it with aluminum foil to retain some heat. Let it rest while you make the pan sauce. The temperature should rise another 5 degrees on its own, and the juices will re-establish themselves in the meat.
Put on a kettle to boil some water. Place the pan from the roasted chicken pan over medium-high heat, and add the butter to the pan drippings. When it melts, add the thyme, rosemary and squeeze out the garlic cloves from their encasing, and squeeze out the lemon juice from the cooked lemon halves. Cook for about a minute, and add the wine and scrape up all the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let this all cook down for 2 minutes, and then add 1/2 - 1 cup of boiling water, a little more salt, and let it reduce for another 5 minutes, whisking frequently. Taste, adjust seasoning and thickness (add more water to thin sauce if desired.)
After the chicken has rested for 10 min it's ready to be carved. Serve with the sauce poured over top or with individual ramekins for dipping.