Jonathan Waxmans Roast Chicken Recipes

JONATHAN WAXMAN'S ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
• Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels.
• Place the chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using a heavy chef 's knife, cut out the breastbone and snip off the wingtips. Season the two halves with salt and pepper.
• Slick a roasting pan or cast-iron skillet with 2 tablespoons oil. Place the chicken halves, skin side up, in the roasting pan and drizzle with the remaining oil. Roast the chicken until cooked through and the internal temperature is 165°F (74°C), basting every 10 minutes, 30 to 35 minutes. If it's not browning well, turn it over after 15 minutes, and then return it to skin side up for the last 5 minutes.
• Place the chicken halves on a platter, and drain excess fat from the roasting pan. Let rest for at least 30 minutes.
• While the bird is roasting, soak the capers in cold water for 1 hour, then drain.
• Soak the anchovies in cold water for 15 minutes, then pat dry.
• Using a mortar and pestle or small food processor, smash together the capers, anchovies, and garlic until smooth, then dump into a large bowl.
• Add all the herbs and oil. Season with salt. It should be chunky, not oily.
• When ready to serve, return the bird to the roasting pan and place back in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes to warm through. Remove and cut the bird into serving pieces. Cut each breast in half and cut the thighs from the legs. Serve with the salsa verde, if desired.

ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Place the chicken in a 12- or 14-inch cast-iron pan, breast-side up. Top with 2 tablespoons butter and generously sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken, 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and carefully shake it to ensure that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Return to the oven to roast, 20 more minutes. Baste the chicken and continue to roast, basting every 5 minutes, for 30 minutes. Add the carrots, garlic and onions and continue to roast until the chicken is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh (avoiding bone) reads 155 degrees F, about 20 minutes more.
• Place the chicken on a cutting board with the vegetables. Skim the fat from the pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons. Place the pan over a burner and add the flour. Cook until browned, then add the wine. Scrape out all the pan juices and the wine-flour mixture into a small saucepan. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the cream and remaining 2 tablespoons butter, whisking. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the meat off the bird and add the cooking juices to the gravy. Place the sliced meat on a platter and sauce with the gravy. Garnish with the vegetables.

JONATHAN WAXMAN'S ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash the chicken in hot water and dry with paper towels. Using kitchen shears, cut out the backbone of the chicken and remove any fat. Then, using a heavy chef's knife, cut out the breastbone. Season the two halves with sea salt and fresh black pepper. Dab an earthenware or metal baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place the chicken halves inside it, skin side up. Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cut the lemon in half and place the halves, cut side down, next to the chicken in the baking dish. Roast for 35 minutes, basting every 8 minutes. Rotate the pan during basting to allow for even cooking. The chicken is done when the juices from the thigh run clear (about 165 degrees).
• Meanwhile, make the salsa verde. Rinse capers in cold water, then drain. Soak anchovies in cold water for 5 minutes, then pat dry and remove the bones. Using a mortar and pestle (or a small mixer if you are in a hurry), smash the capers, anchovies and garlic with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Add all the herbs and remaining olive oil. (The mixture should be chunky, not oily.) Season with sea salt. Serve the chicken topped with the salsa verde, and garnish with the roasted lemon.

GARLIC AND THYME ROASTED CHICKEN WITH CRISPY DRIPPINGS CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange oven rack so that it is in center of oven. Lay bread slices in a thick, heavy-duty metal roasting pan in one layer. (Try not to use a thin or dark colored pan, which may cause bread to burn: see note.) Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Rub 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper inside cavity of chicken. Stuff cavity with garlic, bay leaf, lemon and thyme. Rub outside of chicken with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle all over with remaining salt and pepper. Place it breast side up on bread.
• Roast chicken until it is deeply browned and juices run clear when thigh is pricked with a knife, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve chicken with bread from pan.