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Is Thomas Keller’s Roast Chicken the Greatest Ever?
By
Published: Mar 08, 2020
Category:
Food and Wine
In 1994, Thomas Keller took ownership of The French Laundry in Yountville, California. Fame followed quickly. He has since opened Per Se, Bouchon, Bar Bouchon, Bouchon Bakery, and Ad Hoc.He is the first and only American-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings from the prestigious Michelin Guide, as well as the first American male chef to be designated a Chevalier of The French Legion of Honor, the highest decoration in France. His cookbooks are not as a simple as his recipe for roast chicken, but they are beloved. [To buy “The French Laundry Cookbook” from Amazon, click here. For the Kindle edition, click here.]
Let Thomas Keller tell you how…
ROAST CHICKEN
a two to three pound farm-raised chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)
Unsalted butter
Dijon mustard
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.
Brush the chicken lightly with melted butter, then rain about one tablespoon of salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin. 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. Baste the chicken with the juices and the optional thyme, and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
Remove the twine. 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 “Pope’s nose” — 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 super-elegant.)
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.
