The Mensch Chefs Roast Chicken Recipes

JONATHAN WAXMAN'S ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash the chicken in hot water and dry with paper towels. Using kitchen shears, cut out the backbone of the chicken and remove any fat. Then, using a heavy chef's knife, cut out the breastbone. Season the two halves with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Dab an earthenware or metal baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place the chicken halves inside it, skin side up. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cut the lemon in half and place the halves, cut side down, next to the chicken in the baking dish. Roast for 35 minutes, basting every 8 minutes. Rotate the pan during basting to allow for even cooking. The chicken is done when the juices from the thigh run clear (about 165 degrees).
• Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. Rinse capers in cold water, then drain. Soak anchovies in cold water for 5 minutes, then pat dry and remove the bones. Using a mortar and pestle (or a small mixer if you are in a hurry), smash the capers, anchovies and garlic with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Add all the herbs and remaining olive oil. (The mixture should be chunky, not oily.) Season with sea salt. Serve the chicken topped with the salsa verde, and garnish with the roasted lemon.

THE BEST ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Mix butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.
• Loosen skin on chicken breast; rub butter mixture between skin and breast meat. Press on the skin to distribute evenly. Rub oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper all over; place lemon halves inside cavity. Set in a baking pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven, basting after 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Let rest before carving, about 15 minutes.

ANDRé SOLTNER'S ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the thyme, 2 of the tarragon sprigs, the parsley sprigs and onions in the cavity of the chicken; season inside and out with the salt and pepper.
• On the stove, heat a roasting pan over high heat. Add the peanut oil and the chicken and brown on all sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and place in the oven. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, basting frequently, or until a meat thermometer reaches between 158 and 160 degrees when inserted in the thigh.
• Immediately drop 1 teaspoon of water in the roasting pan, close the oven door and turn off the heat. After 3 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and place the bird on a platter. Carefully drain the fat from the pan and place on top of the stove over medium heat. Add the wine and, using a wooden spoon, scrape the pan well. Add the chicken broth, the reserved tarragon leaves and the parsley. Simmer for 2 minutes and then remove from heat. Whisk in the butter and serve immediately over the chicken.

THE MENSCH CHEF'S ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Place the onion and minced garlic in the bottom of a roasting pan.
• Set the chicken, breast side up on the onions.
• Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, 1/4 teaspoons of the granulated garlic, 1/4 teaspoons of the black pepper and 1/4 teaspoons of the paprika on the chicken and in the cavity.
• Turn it over, breast side down, and sprinkle with the remaining spices.
• Cover the chicken with a lid or aluminum foil and set in the oven for 1 hour.
• After that hour, remove the cover and scatter the potatoes (if using) in the onions and cooking juice around the base of the chicken.
• Raise the oven temperature to 400 and continue roasting until skin begins to brown, 15-20 minutes.
• Using 2 large forks or a pair of tongs, turn chicken over so the breast is facing up and continue to roast for an additional 30 minutes, until the skin has browned and crisped.
• The potatoes should be fork tender.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting up the chicken to serve.

PORTUGUESE-STYLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°C or 180°C fan. Using kitchen scissors or poultry shears, cut down either side of the backbones of chickens and discard. Open out chickens and flatten, pressing with the heel of your hand.
• Rub chicken skin with cut lemon; reserve lemons. Combine oil, garlic, oregano, paprika, cayenne and salt, and rub into skin. Arrange chickens skin side up in a large baking dish and add reserved lemons.
• Roast for 45 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes, then carve into pieces. Drizzle with reserved pan juices to serve.

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
• Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180 degrees and the thigh 190 degrees.
• Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve, and serve gravy on the side.

ROAST FARMERS CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a small bowl, stir together butter, chopped garlic, and chopped thyme until well combined. Gently pull the skin away from the breast of the chicken; rub butter mixture over breast.
• Place rosemary and thyme sprigs, crushed garlic, and baguette in the cavity of the chicken; season with salt and pepper. Using kitchen twine, truss chicken.
• In a large oven-proof skillet, heat clarified butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast, basting with pan juices, until it reaches 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let chicken rest 10 minutes before serving with potatoes and spinach, if desired.

ROAST CHICKEN BY KEVIN SBRAGA

Steps:

• Rinse chicken and allow to air-dry for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Beat butter, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, chives, sesame oil, thyme, salt, black pepper, and coriander in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Loosen skin of chicken over breast and thighs with your fingers; generously coat entire chicken with butter mixture, including inside cavity. Insert butter mixture beneath loosened skin.
• Place chicken on a rack set into a roasting pan with breast side down. Cover chicken with aluminum foil, sealing foil to roasting pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Uncover pan, turn chicken over so breast side faces up, and roast until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reads 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), about 20 more minutes.
• Raise oven temperature to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Continue to roast chicken until skin is golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Let chicken rest 10 minutes before carving.