Whole Roasted Chicken (It’s SO worth the effort

Serves 2-4. Inspired by Judy Rodgers; Zuni Café, San Francisco.

For the best results choose a small chicken, 2-3/4 to 3-1/2 lbs. Smaller chickens have more skin per ounce of meat which, in this case, is a good thing for quick and even roasting.

SEASONING

and out. INGREDIENTS (For 1 chicken) 6 to 8 stems of whole fresh herbs such as sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano. Cut approximately 1” long.

2 whole unpeeled cloves of garlic, lightly smashed with the side of a knife to expose the inner flesh

1-inch sliced lemon rounds, cut in 1/2 Without tearing the skin insert your forefinger under both

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper 1 whole yellow onion

ROASTING

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees- every oven behaves differently, adjust your oven’s temperature and out.

as necessary, increasing or decreasing the temperature no more than 25 degrees at a time.

over medium heat. Place the pre-seasoned whole chicken breast side up, onto the pan –it should sizzle.

SEASON CHICKEN 1-3 DAYS AHEAD OF TIME, BEFORE ROASTING –VERY IMPORTANT.

Remove and discard the lump of fat inside the cavity plus any giblets included. Rinse the chicken and dry thoroughly inside

outer sides of the breast at the cavity to create two pouches under the skin, one on each side of the breast at the thigh. It is important to not tear the skin, so the breast is fully protected when roasting.

In each pouch place herbs, 1 lightly smashed garlic clove, and 1/2 round slice of lemon. Season the chicken liberally inside Preheat a 10-inch cast iron skillet or roasting pan

Place a whole small-medium peeled yellow onion inside the cavity to hold in the juices. If the onion is too large, cut in half.

Place the cast iron skillet with the chicken in the center of the oven. After roughly 20 minutes it should be sizzling and beginning to brown –if not raise the temperature in 25-degree increments.

CARVING

Place the chicken breast side up onto a carving board or cutting board (I put the board into a shallow sided sheet pan to catch the juices.)

At about 30 minutes turn the bird over and roast for another 10 -20 minutes, depending on the size, and flip the chicken back over to crisp the skin side, down the center bone of the breasts to cut the chicken in

cooking another 5 to 10 minutes. The bird should cook for a total time of 45 minutes to an hour.

To check the chicken is cooked insert a paring knife into the joint where the thigh meets the breast the juices should run clear.

Rest the whole chicken for 20 to 30 minutes before carving to allow the chicken to reabsorb the juices rather than losing them to the pan or cutting board.

CHEFS TIP

If you want additional chicken, it is better to have 2 small chickens than one large chicken.

The carcass can be saved, refrigerated or frozen to make a chicken and red mole enchiladas. Insert a sharp 10” knife inside the cavity and cut along the length of the backbone to remove the spine.

To flatten the chicken onto the cutting board, press gently on the breast, being careful of the skin. Then cut the chicken stock as the base of a soup. Extra chicken makes great

half. Remove the wings and legs at the joint where they attach to the breast. Cut the legs in half at the joint. Cut the chicken breast in half creating 4 pieces.

Great served hot, room temperature, or cold

California Wine Suggestions provided by Brian Carriveau, BA Wine Buyer and Catering Director Oracle Park

Merry Edwards Sauvignon Blanc, Russian River $36 “Vibrant acidity balanced with hints of summer fruit and citrus” Toulouse Valdiguié Red Blend, Green Valley-Russian River Valley $32 “Old grape varietal. Zero oak, light and fruity. Notes of watermelon, cherry and pomegranate accented by a white pepper finish”