Rotisserie Chicken-done your way, right away!

Nothing compares to a home roasted chicken!  If you haven't done this before, now is the time. I have included several techniques from Thomas Kellers Ad hoc and Bouchon cookbooks to give you a few options. 


First, when shopping for a whole chicken, look for one between 2-4 lbs. This is a perfect size for 2-4 people with leftovers.  You have a couple of options when roasting the chicken.  You can prepare it the same day or prep it in advance. 

Let stand room temperature between 30 min-2 hours (or until the chicken is room temp). Rinse it inside and out and dry thoroughly with paper towels. The drier it is the less steam it will produce, resulting in a crispy exterior. Stuff it with whole peeled garlic or herbs of choice and truss it. 

Trussing doesn’t have to be perfect. Some variations leave the wings flopped away from the body and the other pulls it close. I prefer keeping them close, but not required, since Thomas Keller shows it the first way.  Either way the point is to get your chicken (mainly breast and drumsticks) pulled close together to avoid drying it out. You’ll notice an immediate difference in its presentation once you tie it. Once it is trussed, generously sprinkle kosher salt and pepper over it. Don’t be shy!


 Here are some step-by-step photos to help you truss the chicken:

You'll need twine to truss the chicken.  Most kitchen stores carry it.
This spool was purchased at Sur La Table.

  

Variation 1:  Tuck the wings and place twine below wings

Variation 2:  Tuck the wings, but place twine underneath.  (Wilson preferred method)

Bring twine forward and tie knot at the breast.  This will cause it to plump.

Once the knot is secure, wrap twine beneath drumsticks. 

Next, tie another knot to secure the drumsticks. 

Once the knots are secure cut the excess twine.  The chicken is either ready
to be roasted or can be refrigerated uncovered for 1-2 days to dry out the skin.

Once the chicken is trussed, place it in a roasting pan or on a bed of your favorite vegetables (red potatoes, leeks, yellow onions, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, etc.) tossed in canola oil/salt/pepper. I prefer these two methods (pan or veggies) as this prevents grease splatter and seasons your vegetables wonderfully. 


Chef Keller recommends roasting in a cast iron pan.   I tried this one and it caused an oily disaster inside the oven.  Maybe I didn’t dry the chicken enough, but it was so messy that I'm not willing to try it again.  I'd only suggest using a cast iron pan if you prep a day or two prior and have left the chicken uncovered in your refrigerator to dry the exterior and give you that crunchy skin you’ve always dreamed of.  If you choose to do this, wait to season liberally with salt and pepper right before roasting. 

Cooking variations found throughout Thomas Keller's cookbooks:

4 lbs—475F for 25 min, then reduce to 400F for an additional 45 min

2-3 lbs—450F for 50-60 min

2-2.5 lbs—475F for 40 min

Tips: Check the temperature of the chicken after 30 minutes and then every 5-10 minutes or so between the leg and thigh. Should read 155F-160F and juices run clear.

I’ve found the times listed above to be more then enough. Last week we roasted a 4lb chicken and after 50 minutes the chicken read 193F.  I almost freaked out but stopped when we cut our first piece. It was still incredibly juicy!

Most importantly, wait at least 15 min after you remove the chicken from the oven to cut it. This gives the meat enough time to soak up all its juices, otherwise, it will end up all over your carving board.

If you make this once you’ll never go back to grocery store rotisseries. It’s fresh, simple, and delicious!  Enjoy!

-Kurtis

Introducing the Adventures of Kurtis & Thomas: Vol 1.

Kurtis at the first Starbucks in Pikes Market, Seattle

Welcome to a new blog column on flourbloom.com authored by me, Kurtis. Several weeks ago I had an urge to stop "throwing together" dinner. I had grown tired of over cooking chicken in a saute pan in order to get the inside done while Evangeline battled the smoke detector.  Or quickly slapping the vegetables in the microwave worrying which "side of the bag goes up," and then scrounging through the pantry looking for a decent starch.  We deserve more effort put into our meals. Something that high-fives your mouth and says great job today! Sometimes when I wanted to spice up dinner and surprise my wife, I'd drive to the grocery store and get one of those rotisserie chickens off the heated shelves in the deli department. It still had the "fresh" sticker on it so it must be true, right? "Wow, she's going to love this!" I'd think as I walked to the checkout line with a giant grin. 

Unfortunately, neither of us ever have! To date, I am 0 for 3 on getting a "delicious" rotisserie chicken. Each time it has been excessively dry and bland, probably from sitting out all day. I started to wonder, do famous chefs ever eat like this?  Would you ever see Thomas Keller walking out of a grocery store with a silly smile and a dry chicken in tow on his way to surprise his family?  

I'll be honest, most of the time I eat dinner just to get to the dessert. But eating a "blah" dinner and a phenomenal dessert from Evangeline's baking and pastry classes just didn't seem to match.  It didn't take too long to realize that dinner and dessert should both be appealing; not just one great moment but two! Like any restaurant experience it has to start right and end even better. A lot of times this requires a $100 meal out, but I had to find a way to do this myself to avoid going broke trying to satisfy our taste buds. That's when I started noticing our cookbooks and endless shelves of food magazines. I thumbed through Thomas Keller's French Laundry, Bouchon, and Ad hoc cookbooks and realized, like Julie and Julia, I could learn from his recipes and techniques.  (For the record, my wife forced me to watch that movie.) I found myself immediately inspired to read and do more. While a couple can spend upwards of $1,000 for a single evening at French Laundry, I could use the similar ingredients and basic techniques found within his cookbooks to make extraordinary meals. Why go searching random material online when I could learn from a proven legend? So begins the adventures of Kurtis and Thomas. Since I've started, it has drastically opened my eyes to a world that before I had just rushed by and never took the time to learn how to prepare restaurant quality food at home.  

A fun note, Anthony Bourdain, a well traversed chef himself, labeled French Laundry as one of the top 13 places to eat before you die.  Currently we are 1 for 13 on this list.  His #13 place, "Oklahoma Joes Barbecue" in Kansas City was in the back of a BP gas station. Naturally, we drove passed it,  but once we found it we realized how it earned its reputation. Best BBQ ever!  With such a diverse group of restaurants like these two, who knows, maybe our kitchen will become #14!

My portion of this blog will be tested and trusted material that I've learned among many different sources (cookbooks, magazines, television, friends, etc.) that can help you in your own kitchen. It will also be things that you may have cooked for 30+ years and didn't realize it could be made better (i.e. roasted or pan seared chicken, scrambled eggs).  Or even just a fun recipe, technique, or essential kitchen tool I find that you shouldn't live without. While Evangeline continues to expand your knowledge on cakes and pastries, my portion will lean more on the savory/culinary side. I'm hoping I can spark a desire in each of you to craft fresh and delicious food (don't just believe the sticker) and to prepare your meals with excitement and confidence rather than the same boredom and carelessness exerted during a mundane chore. Save that for the toilets!