roast chicken and potatoes

a whole chicken always scared me. especially looking at it raw. i never wanted to touch it. and roasting a whole one? i don't think so.
well, i didn't think so. until i found the easiest recipe known to mankind. it's no wonder this recipe has so many great reviews. it's so simple and the result is a deliciously moist roast chicken with a salty crispy skin! so the hubby and i gloved ourselves and got ready to prepare the chicken.
i also parboiled potatoes (already cut into serving size) then threw them into the roasting pan half way through the chicken's cooking time. i like to leave my chicken in to roast a bit longer than the recipe calls for, but that's because the skin just gets better and better. :)

enjoy!

My Favorite Simple Roast Chicken - Bouchon, October 2004
Mon Poulet Rôti

Ingredients:
one 2-3lb organic chicken
kosher salt & black pepper
2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now, salt the chicken — I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone — I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want.

Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

sidenote: i've made this 3 times now, and i haven't trussed the chicken yet. maybe i'll try next time. :)

cPe 2008