Un poulet rôti
A roast chicken has to be one of the easiest dinners I can think of. While some go through great lengths to modify the chicken—brining, rubbing butter under the skin, stuffing with aromatics—I keep it very simple. My chickens get no more treatment than a trussing, patting dry, a heavy sprinkling of kosher salt, and a hot 450° oven for around 45 minutes. No basting. The result is delicious with thin crispy salty skin, moist meat, and is as simple as it can get.
Last night I did something a little different, lining the bottom of the skillet with baguette slices. These absorbed up all of the fat and juices from the bird, turning golden crisp on the bottom and soft on top like stuffing. I could probably eat these savory croutons by themselves (and nearly did eat an entire baguettes worth). Besides being a perfect accompaniment to the chicken, the bread prevented the bird from sticking to the pan. Easy cleanup!
The bones and carcass from this chicken will join others that I have saved in the freezer to make chicken stock this weekend. Stay tuned for that.
April 20th, 2009 at 5:41 PM
I made this, it was very good. Thank you for the idea.