A Roast Chicken Dinner is something everyone should learn how to make. And Thomas Keller's Roast Chicken is as simple as you can get. He relies on the natural choices to flavor the bird and you wind up with the crispiest skin, juiciest meat and most delicious chicken you will ever make. I made a few simple additions to make a mouth watering pan gravy. Serve this with simple sides, I chose Roasted Potatoes and Carrots and a simple dressed Watercress Salad with Olive Oil and Lemon. Do this Napa Valley Chef proud and pair this meal with a buttery Chardonnay from the California region!
Serves 2-4
3-4 lb organic chicken (a great quality chicken really makes a difference here)
Sea Salt and Pepper
2 tsp minced thyme
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbsp unsalted butter
In the morning pat chicken dry inside and out and place on a wire rack with a pan or plate underneath and let sit in the fridge uncovered. This is a key step for an incredibly crispy skin
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Season chicken inside the cavity with salt and pepper. Truss chicken- see YouTube link below.
Generously season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper. You want to rain the salt all over so it is even.
Add chicken breast side up to a cast iron skillet or roasting pan. Roast for 50-60 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees.
Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle minced thyme on chicken and baste chicken with pan juices. I use a basting brush. If you wanted to you can skip this step for an even crispier skin and just add thyme to the pan when creating gravy but I find it gives an amazing flavor.
Remove chicken and place on a cutting board to rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Meanwhile heat the skilled or pan on the lowest setting. Add white wine to the pan and gently stir (if you didn't add thyme earlier add it now). Continue stirring occasionally. A few minutes before the chicken is done resting add the butter to the pan. Stir until melted and the sauce becomes smooth. Pour the sauce into a gravy boat for serving.
Slice chicken, drizzle with gravy and enjoy!
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