Quick Roast Chicken
7:17pm on a Wednesday evening, and I am home approximately 32 minutes later than I anticipated. There’s a whole chicken on the bottom shelf of the fridge, a bag of potatoes in the lower-right drawer, and not the hour-and-a-half ’till dinner I thought I’d have. Think fast, hot shot.
Mark Bittman seems to think you can roast a whole chicken in half an hour, but the commenters had me thinking otherwise. Thoughts of butterflying ran through my mind, but I thought we could meet half-way: Forty-five to sixty minutes in a hot oven is enough to cook a bird, I thought/guessed/really hoped. A pan of potatoes with dill and lemon alongside means we will be eating something rather proper an hour from now.
What I mean is: I walked into the house, a little hungry and unhinged. But at this moment, as two pans for dinner sit side-by-side in the oven, I feel a little bit like I’ve pulled a fast one on the universe. In a word, triumph.
The little bit you lose in juiciness in the breast meat in this quick method (compared to a longer, slower roast) you make up with a beautifully golden crisp skin. For a weeknight dinner, it’s a trade-off worth making, I think.
Quick Roast Chicken
from Mark Bittman
Serves 4
1 small whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds
salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and place a cast-iron or other heavy, ovenproof skillet on a rack set low in the oven. (Or put the skillet on a burner over high heat.) Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
When the oven is hot, carefully place the chicken, breast side up, in the hot skillet. Roast, undisturbed, 45 to 60 minutes, or until the cavity juices run clear and bird is cooked through. Remove from the oven, then let rest about 10 to 15 minutes, as the temperature. Carve and serve.
Lauren Clare: I am so boring, but roast chicken is forever my favorite food. My husband thinks I am crazy that I eat the skin too, but I love it.50 weeks ago
megan: for a couple of years, i only roasted chickens according to your very first POP vid: the lazy way to roast a chicken. simple, classic, lazy, my kind of chicken. but for the last several months, i confess i’ve become a total zuni chicken convert: brine for a day or two, 45 min at 500, flipping the bird twice. it gets the kitchen a little smoky sometimes, but it’s the most moist ever. that’s more or less the bittman recipe, minus the brining. (but oh! the brining!)50 weeks ago
brie.: this sounds like a perfect trade off – and really, crispy skin? to die for!50 weeks ago
Rebecca: 45 minutes at 400 degrees, with the chicken butterflied. Butterflying the chicken and cooking it for a shorter length of time ensures that you don’t loose the juiciness. I promise! I suppose if you upped the temp to 450 you could do it in a half and hour. I’m going to try that next.50 weeks ago
Gail Gordon: Yummy! Thanks, Sarah!50 weeks ago
Lauren, I hear you! It’s pretty much the ultimate comfort food in my book.
Megan, I have heard tale of this Zuni chicken! I really ought to try it yet. Problem is, I’m still a lazy girl at heart. Brining? Flipping? That takes energy.
Brie, Like fatty chicken candy. I know that sounds kind of gross but well, it’s true.
Rebecca, Maybe before I try the Zuni bird I’ll try butterflying. It makes so much sense! Thank you!
Of course, Gail!50 weeks ago
Lisa (dinner party): YES to the Zuni chicken. It is my foolproof, go-to method. You heat a cast-iron skillet on the stove top, then cook the bird on both sides to crisp up the skin, then put the whole thing in your preheated oven for 50 minutes or so (I think?). Works like a charm.50 weeks ago
Diana: This is the best roast chicken recipe EVER; the bread base that you bake it on top of is to die for:
http://julia.typepad.com/scrambled/2009/09/zingermans-one-pot-roasted-chicken.html
(originally from the Zingerman’s cookbook)
Butterflying a chicken is super easy if you have a pair of kitchen shears – just snip the backbone out, flip the bird over and press down hard. I remove the wings too because I don’t like to eat them and freeze the wings+backbone and make stock with them once I have a few collected.50 weeks ago
Blair: I love roasted chicken and I just learned how to do it on my own! I followed the Martha Stewart recipe and it was delicious! So moist and skin was amazing! Here’s how I did it: http://thefirstapartment.blogspot.com/2011/04/martha-stewart-sunday-how-to-roast.html
It actually wasn’t that hard to make and I did make chicken salad afterwards as well.49 weeks ago