Every zealous cook will come across once in a while a recipe that will change his view on a dish or even his life forever, and this is one of those recipes. Having heard of the legendary roast chicken from chef Judy Rogers at San Francisco’s Zuni Café for years now, I can’t understand why I didn’t try it sooner. This chicken is, without a doubt, the best chicken I have ever tasted and many share this feeling. Perhaps it was to save all those roasted chickens I’ve had before from losing face and seeming bland…or perhaps there really is a perfect time to appreciate true greatness.
In any case, I feel obligated and eager to share this incredible recipe here and hope you’ll be making it soon, unless you’ve had the luxury of enjoying it at the café!
Although it tastes magical, don’t worry about it being a super complex recipe because it really isn’t. The greatness of that dish relies on just a few simple rules that will change forever the way you roast your chicken: #1 – a small bird which tends to be juicier (around 3lbs is perfect), #2 – a 24-hour salting period in the refrigerator for the seasoning to penetrate, #3 – high roasting temperature for that wonderfully crispy skin. Voila! You now have the secret to the best chicken on earth!
The bread salad adds quite a few steps but after tasting it you’ll agree with me that it could easily stand on its own and is in my opinion much more than just a bed to lay the chicken over. And that bread…oh my! Saturated with pan drippings and a light vinaigrette, it’s salty, crunchy, fatty and totally addictive. Paired with the perfectly tender meat and crispy skin, still dripping with juice over the seasonal greens, the tableau is the stuff of rustic Tuscan dreams…and looking at it you’ll swear never to roast a chicken any other way again!
Roast Chicken with Bread Salad
Recipe from San Francisco’s Zuni Cafe
Active time: 1h30
Total time: 24h-48h
Makes 4 servings
1 2 3⁄4-3 1⁄2-lb. chicken, preferably a fryer,
lump of fat inside chicken discarded
4 tender sprigs fresh thyme, marjoram,
rosemary, or sage
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
½-¾ lb. day-old chewy country-style bread
(not sourdough), cut into large chunks,
crust removed
8 tbsp. mild olive oil
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 tbsp. dried currants
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. pine nuts
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 scallions trimmed, white and pale green parts only,
thinly sliced
2 tsp. lightly salted chicken stock or lightly salted water
4 handfuls (about 3 oz.) baby red mustard greens
or arugula or frisee leaves
Rinse chicken, pat very dry inside and out, and put on a plate. Loosen skin from breast and thighs without tearing it and tuck an herb sprig into each pocket. Liberally season chicken all over with salt and pepper. Loosely cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
Put bread on a baking sheet and brush with 3 tbsp. of the oil. Broil until lightly colored on each side, 2-3 minutes per side. Trim off any badly charred tips, then tear bread into 2″-3″ wads and put into a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 475°. Mix white vinegar, 4 tbsp. of the oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Toss 1⁄4 cup of the vinaigrette with the bread. Soak currants in red wine vinegar and 1 tbsp. warm water in small bowl.
Heat a 10″ ovenproof skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Wipe chicken dry, put in skillet breast side up, and roast in oven for 30 minutes. Turn bird over and roast for 10-20 minutes more, then flip back over to recrisp breast skin, 5-10 minutes more.
Meanwhile, warm pine nuts in oven for 1-2 minutes, then add to bread. Sweat garlic and scallions in 1 tbsp. of the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes. Add to bread and toss well. Drain currants and add to bread, then add stock or water and toss again. Put bread salad into a small baking dish and tent with foil. Transfer to oven when chicken gets its last turn.
Remove chicken from oven and turn off heat, leaving bread salad in oven for 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Pour off fat from skillet, leaving pan drippings behind. Swirl 1 tbsp. water in skillet. Slash skin between thighs and breast of chicken, then tilt bird and plate over skillet, draining juices into drippings. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes, then carve into 8 pieces.
Simmer pan drippings over medium heat, scraping up browned bits, for 1 minute. Toss hot bread salad with a spoonful of pan drippings in a bowl, add greens and remaining vinaigrette, and toss well.
Put bread salad on a platter and arrange chicken on top.
Print This Post
