I had a hankerin' for some today. I'm not too wild about the way I normally
roast a chicken, so decided to look around for something new. Came across the
recipe below. It is simple and great. Do it in a cast iron pan, and you've got a
ready pan for making gravy. Let the giblets cook while the chicken is doing it's
thing in the oven, and then use the broth for the gravy. Great stuff.

Oh, if there are any leftovers, you can make some chicken salad for sandwiches
on your next fishing trip. [Now it's boating related!]

Oh, I didn't check to see if the bird was 'farm-raised'. Hell, it may have been
raised in the Bronx for all I know. 'Twas still yummy.

Roast Chicken
" One 2- to 3-pound farm-raised chicken
" Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
" 2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional)

" Unsalted butter
" Dijon mustard
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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.
Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately.
Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the
oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to
the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could
never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip-until
one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut
the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still
attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the
meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a
simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your
fingers, because it's so good.

--

John H
--

John H