- Yield: 4 servings
Roast Chicken
Recipe courtesy of Brian Beland, CMC, Executive Chef, Country Club of Detroit, Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich.
Ingredients
- whole chicken - 1 ea., 4 lbs.
- basic brine - 1 gal.
- chicken butter - 2 ozs.
- salt and pepper - to taste
- For the cavity:
- Rosemary - 1 ea., 3" piece
- thyme sprigs - 3 ea.
- sage - 3 ea.
- lemon - 1 slice, 1/4" thick
- For the Roasting Pan
- garlic - 1 ea., head split
- shallot - 2 ea.
- carrot - 1 ea., cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pice
Instructions
Procedure:
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Rinse chicken.
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Place the chicken in a vessel large enough to hold it submerged in brine. Pour the brine over the bird and into the vessel. Be sure to completely submerge the chicken.
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Allow the chicken to brine for 8-12 hours. (Ideally, do this a day ahead.)
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Remove, rinse and dry chicken with a disposable towel.
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Season inside the cavity of the bird with salt and pepper.
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Stuff with a 3-inch sprig of rosemary, a few sprigs of thyme, a couple sage leaves and a slice of lemon.
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Gently separate the skin of the chicken from the breast without tearing. This will allow for the butter to be stuffed and spread evenly across the chicken breast.
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Place about 1½ Tbsp. of softened butter under the skin of each breast. Spread to evenly cover and distribute the butter. The skin will brown quicker where the butter is located, so even distribution is important for flavor, basting and even browning of the skin.
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Truss bird in your preferred method.
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Season the outside of the bird. (Chef’s note: The chicken may be held for up to a day uncovered under refrigeration, allowing the skin to dry and tighten.)
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Brush with a light coat of olive oil and lightly re-season.
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Warm a cast-iron skillet or a roasting pan in the oven. Add a small amount of oil to just coat the bottom of the pan. Place aromatics in the pan, place the chicken on top.
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Place pan with chicken into a 350°F preheated convection oven.
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Roast chickens for an estimated 45–60 minutes. The size of the bird will determine its actual required cooking time.
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Rotate the pan every 15 minutes to promote even browning of the chicken. Baste using the pan drippings.
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If the chicken is browning too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 275°F/300°F. If the chicken is not browning enough, increase the temperature to 400°F. Every oven will cook differently.
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Remove from oven when the internal temperature reads 160°F/165°F on an instant-read thermometer placed into the thick part of the thigh. The thickest part of the breast should read about 8°F–10°F lower than the thigh.
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Remove from oven and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes. The chicken will continue to cook, reaching 165° internal temperature. Add fresh thyme to the pan and baste the chicken a few more times.
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Carve the chicken and serve.