Weeknight Roast Chicken

December 2024

Recipe from Cook's Illustrated, September 2011

This recipe was described in a podcast I listen to in the context of the 25th anniversary of America's Test Kitchen. Cook's Illustrated has published many recipes for roast chicken. This one appealed to me because of its simplicity.

I bought a 3.8 pound, air-chilled, chicken at Whole Foods, just the right size for this recipe. A 12-inch skillet was put into a 450° oven. The chicken was dried with paper towels, rubbed with olive oil, and seasoned with salt and pepper. The legs were tied together and the wing tips tucked behind its back. The chicken was placed, breast side up, in the hot skillet and returned to the hot oven. After about 30 minutes, when the breast reached 120° and the thighs 135°, the oven was turned off. The chicken was removed after another half hour, when the breast registered 160° and the thighs 175°, and rested for 20 minutes. The chicken was done roasting after 85 minutes and served after 105 minutes. It served the two of us for three meals.

While the chicken roasted ingredients were prepared for a pan sauce: shallot, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, butter, fresh herbs (a mixture of rosemary, sage, and thyme in place of tarragon), and lemon juice. All but 1 tablespoon of fat was poured from the skillet and discarded. Minced shallot was added and cooked over medium-high heat. Chicken broth and mustard were stirred in and simmered for several minutes. Off heat the butter, herbs, and lemon juice were whisked in. 

For such an easy preparation this chicken is very good, juicy and moist. The pan sauce is okay but does provide some extra flavor for the chicken. The thighs were a little underdone so we had them the second night after they were reheated in the sauce. The recipe specified the time as 1¼ hours, I postulate my time was greater because it includes the time needed to preheat the oven.