The method originates with Thomas Keller, one of the most revered chefs in the United States.Tad Seaborn/The Globe and Mail
Two ingredients: chicken and salt. Let the oven do the rest. Fifty minutes later you will be the proud creator of a juicy, golden, tender roast chicken. The method originates with Thomas Keller, one of the most revered chefs in the United States. While drooling over my chicken masterpiece one weekend, I realized there may be some who don't know that making this mouth-watering, crowd-pleasing dish is easier than making a grilled cheese sandwich. You'll feel like a rock star in the kitchen, and no one will believe you when you humbly blow off compliments with "It was nothing." (Perfect!)
Servings: 4
Ingredients
3-lb chicken
Sea salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Remove a 3 lb chicken from the fridge about half an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature. Using paper towels, pat it dry – even get into the cavity if the chicken is not trussed. Drying makes the skin crispier and the meat juicier.
If the chicken is not trussed (many grocery store chickens are), take some butchers twine and tie the legs together by looping the string around the legs to pull them together and then around the tail to secure. Don’t worry about being perfect – the goal is to keep the legs close to the body to maintain moisture while cooking.
Put the chicken breast side up on a rack in your roasting pan. Sprinkle sea salt liberally all over the bird. Place it uncovered on the middle rack and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a cooking thermometer placed in the meaty part of the thigh reads 165 F. (No basting! No turning!) Let it rest for 15 minutes, carve and serve.
Sue Riedl