Food Goes In Mouth

I enjoy creating mostly original recipes but sometimes you just have to throw down some basics and pump out a trusty good meal. Take a whole chicken, cook it in an oven with a time-tested herb combination and declare victory.

Because of the “trusty” factor I’ve heard variations on this dish described as The One Dish Any Kitchen-Stupid Guy Should Learn to Cook for a Woman to Impress and Woo Her. This take will certainly fit into that category. To be horribly stereotypical: Tender roasted herb chicken, vegetables, and the taste of champagne? That’s a four-pitch walk; take first base.

What I used

• Chicken, whole
• Rosemary, fresh, stems removed
• Thyme, fresh, stems removed
• Carrot, small diced
• Shallot, small diced
• Celery, small diced
• Champagne (or more accurately any “sparkling wine”)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Unsalted Butter
• All Purpose Flour

What I Did

1. Finely chop a bunch of the rosemary and thyme. (See picture above) Combine with olive oil and a liberal dose of salt to make a rub.
2. Take the whole chicken and spatchcock it. Yes, that’s a real word. It’s just a term for butterflying a whole chicken. There’s a great video on YouTube showing how to do this which I’ve embeded below. Save the chicken bones, especially that back bone, for future stock.
3. Place a layer of celery stalks on the bottom of a pyrex dish or baking pan and lay the chicken skin-side up on top.
4. Rub the herb mix all over the skin of the chicken. Move to a 450°F oven until internal temperature hits 170°F or ~50 minutes.
5. In a saucepan over medium heat add butter to melt. Sweat the shallot, celery, and carrot. (Make sure to add salt here)
6. Add flour and stir until the excess fat hydrates it and continue to cook for a couple minutes.
7. While stirring, add champagne and bring up to a boil. If the sauce seems too thick, add more champagne. Too thin? Let some of the liquid cook out of the uncovered saucepage.
8. Turn down to a simmer and leave for 30 minutes
9. Right before serving mount the sauce with a pad of butter and pour onto a plate. Top with finished chicken.

Spatchcocking is technique typically used for grilling chicken on a BBQ. By creating a flatter chicken we decrease cooking time and allow for higher heat applications. High heat equals crispy skin and as you might be able to tell from the photos, the chicken skin could be browner. It came out crispy and delicious but I think you could crank the oven to 500°F on this.

The celery lining the bottom of the baking dish is just an aromatic replacement for a baking rack. It keeps the chicken elevated above its own leaking juices so that the base doesn’t go for a swim and get soggy. And if you want you can eat them. Try doing that with a metal baking rack.*

Want some other simple roast chicken recipes?

• Roast Chicken for Julia @ Food Wishes
• Chicken, Three Ways @ Pastry Methods and Techniques
• Basil Garlic Roasted Chicken @ goodLife {eats}™

* For the love of God don’t actually try this. It takes hours and hours of braising to make one of these taste good.