Weeknight Whole Roast Chicken with Tarragon- Lemon Pan Sauce

JD

October 04, 2019

0

tasty-chicken-recipe, tasty-food-recipe

Few dishes are more impressive than a roast chicken—or more rewarding. While there is no single perfect way to make one, there are factors to consider, chiefly that different parts cook at different rates, and that chicken is prone to drying out. Ideally, you’d salt or brine the bird, but that takes time. This recipe uses a creative, weeknight-friendly approach: We start with a preheated skillet to give the slower-cooking thighs a jump-start and then literally turn the oven off halfway through cooking. This helps the meat finish cooking gently and slows the evaporation of juices as the oven cools. We prefer to use a 3½- to 4-pound chicken; if roasting a larger bird, increase the time when the oven is on in step 2 to 35 to 40 minutes. Prep all sauce ingredients while the chicken is in the oven and make the sauce itself while the chicken rests.

Serves: 4
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

CHICKEN
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 (3½- to 4-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
1 tablespoon olive oil
TARRAGON-LEMON PAN SAUCE
1 shallot, minced
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Pepper

Cooking Procedure

1. FOR THE CHICKEN Adjust oven rack to middle position, place 12-inch oven-safe skillet on rack, and heat oven to 450 degrees. Combine salt and pepper in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Rub oil all over chicken. Sprinkle salt mixture evenly over surface of chicken, then rub mixture in with your hands to coat evenly. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and tuck wingtips behind back.
2. Transfer chicken, breast side up, to skillet in oven. Roast until thermometer inserted into breast registers 120 degrees and thighs register 135 degrees (taking care not to hit bone), 25 to 35 minutes. Turn off oven and leave chicken in oven, opening door as little as possible, until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 25 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
3. FOR THE PAN SAUCE Meanwhile, using large spoon, carefully remove all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (handle will be hot), leaving any browned bits and just in skillet. Place skillet over medium-high heat, add shallot, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in broth and mustard, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until reduced to ¾ cup, about 3 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter, tarragon, and lemon juice. Season with pepper to taste. Carve chicken and serve with sauce.

Put some Twist | Thyme–Sherry Vinegar Pan Sauce

Add 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme to skillet with shallot. Omit tarragon and substitute sherry vinegar for lemon juice.

Chef's Secret Tips | WHOLE CHICKEN CHALLENGES

The natural shape of a chicken creates certain challenges when you try to roast it whole. Within a whole chicken there are actually two different types of meat: dark meat (thighs and drumsticks) and white meat (breast). Dark meat cooks more slowly than white meat. This is mainly due to the fact that dark meat is denser because it has more fat and proteins. To account for this difference, we cook the bird thigh side down in a preheated skillet to give the dark meat a head start. To prevent it from drying out while ensuring it is safe to eat, white meat should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees and dark meat should be cooked to 175 degrees. Having a good instant-read thermometer is essential for perfectly cooked chicken.

Another challenge with whole chickens is getting crisp skin. Make sure to blot the chicken dry with paper towels before cooking to eliminate excess moisture that can cause the skin to steam and become flabby.