Chef Magazine for Thailand December/January | Page 46

ROAST CHICKEN — POULET RÔTI
BY THOMAS KELLER
Ingredients
· · Two 2 1/4- to 2 1/2-pound chickens
· · Brine (see the recipe for the Brine at the
end of the main recipe)
· · Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper
· · 2 tablespoons canola oil
· · 2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves
· · 1 cup Chicken Jus warmed (see the
recipe for the Chicken Jus at the end of
the main recipe)
· · Fleur de sel
When I roast a chicken, one of my favourite
things to cook at home, I usually just salt it
thoroughly and put it in a hot oven, but at
the restaurant we like to brine our chickens,
which results in very juicy, uniformly
seasoned birds, with deep brown, crispy
skin. The brine does dehydrate the skin,
though, because the salt pulls moisture
from it as it adds flavour. If you see that the
skin is beginning to brown too quickly, lay a
sheet of foil over the bird to deflect the heat
without trapping steam and moisture.
the twine around the ends of the drumsticks
and straight up. Tie as before to pull the
drumsticks together and form a compact
bird; tie again to secure the knot. Repeat
with the second chicken. Let the chickens sit
at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes
before roasting.
(The trussed chickens can be refrigerated
To brine the chickens:
for a few hours, but remove them from
Rinse each chicken under cold running the refrigerator about 30 minutes before
water. Put the chickens in the pot of brine, cooking.)
weighting them with a plate if necessary
Season the outside of the chickens with a
to keep them submerged. Refrigerate for 6
light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Place
hours.
two heavy ovenproof skillets about 10
To roast the chickens:
inches in diameter over high heat. (Heating
Preheat the oven to 475°F.
the skillets will help keep the skin of the birds
Remove the chickens from the brine (discard from sticking to them.) When they are hot,
the brine), rinse them, and pat dry with add half the oil to each and heat until hot.
paper towels. Season the inside of each one Put the birds breast side up in the skillets,
and then into the oven with the legs facing
with a light sprinkling of salt and pepper.
To truss the chickens, place one chicken the back of the oven.
on a tray with the legs toward you. Tuck
the wing tips under the bird. Cut a piece of
kitchen twine about 3 feet long and centre it
on top of the neck end of the breast. Lift the
neck end of the bird and pull the twine down
around the wings and under the chicken,
then bring the ends up over the breast,
toward you, and knot the twine, pulling it
tight to plump the breast. Bring the ends of
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Roast for 40 minutes, checking the birds
every 15 minutes and rotating the skillets
if the chickens are browning unevenly.
After 40 minutes, check the temperature
of the birds by inserting an instant-read
thermometer between the leg and the thigh:
The temperature should read approximately
155°F. (The chicken will continue to cook as it
sits, reaching a temperature of about 165°F.)
When the birds are done, remove from the
oven, add the thyme leaves to the skillets, and
baste the birds several times with the juices
and thyme leaves. Let sit in a warm spot for
about 10 minutes.
TO CARVE:
Cut the twine between the legs of each
chicken and pull on one end; the entire
piece will pull away easily. Cut each bird
into 4 serving pieces. Remove each leg by
cutting through
the joint where the thigh joins the body.
Slice off each side of the breast, leaving the
wings attached to the breast meat; cut off
and discard the wing tips.
TO SERVE:
Arrange one piece of breast and a leg on
each serving plate and top with about 1/4
cup chicken jus. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Makes 4 Servings
CHICKEN JUS
Variations on the same principle, at
Bouchon stock and jus are distinguished
from each other by ingredients, cooking
time, and uses. A stock uses primarily bones
and is cooked longer than a jus. A jus is
made with abundant bones and meat and is