I just got back from Paris. Even the simplest cafe food was wonderful. I love that city.

Yep, start with quality ingredients - rule number two, right after wash hands first.:)

Let me know when you guys figure out how to make it taste like this....


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If you don't have it already, you owe it to yourself as a foodie to read Thomas Keller's Bouchon.

Also required reading for things like learning how to truss a chicken: Jacques Pepin's La Technique (find a used copy).

+1 with beer chicken. Had it last night, simply the best chicken ever!!!

The best lesson is simplicity. Thomas Keller (known for his roast chicken) did a slot on Bourdain's technique's special. I seem to recall the biggest lesson was to temper the chicken first - bring it to nearly room temperature before you roast it. Introducing the cold chicken into the oven lowers the temperature and the time it takes to heat the inside of the chicken from a very cold temp causes the meat to start drying out because of the longer cooking time. All the extra work, brining, separating skin with butter, etc. are essentially done because you are compensating for a cold bird.

The other point was the way he trussed the chicken to make the heat more even. And he cut out the wishbone first to make taking the breast meat off easier.

I made one the other day and it was the easiest, best chicken I've done. The might have the video up on Food TV or UTube. There are recipes online for "Keller Roast Chicken" but they are more complicated than the version he showed on TV.

Guys,

Chicken roasted on a rotisserie is much better than when roasted any other way.

Ned

Re: Don's post-
Exactly.
For that matter, nearly all meat should be brought up to room temperature before cooking. I am continually amazed by the number of people who pull a $10+ steak out of the fridge and throw it straight onto a grill. But then, these are usually the same heathens that like their steak "well done."

While you're at it, get a copy of Bourdain's cookbook. He has a roast chicken recipe that works well. Not only that but he will tell you, for each recipe, what to do, what not to do, and why. Very informative.

JR

Not necessarily.

If I want a very seared and crusty steak, with a very rare interior, and I don't have a big heat source (no high-BTU burner or cast iron pan) I'll sometimes put the steak in the refrigerator for awhile before cooking. The colder interior lets me get more searing done before the steak goes beyond "rare", and because a refrigerator is a very low-humidity environment, it also helps dry the meat's exterior which also promotes browning.

Of course, with a cast iron pan it is easy. I put the pan on the burner, cranked to highest flame, and leave it to pre-heat for at least five minutes. When the pan is starting to smoke, we sear.

If I'm stir-frying small marinated pieces of meat, for example in a wok for a Chinese recipe, I'll sometimes do the same thing. A standard steel wok doesn't retain heat, so without a big wok burner, it is hard to get the meat browned on the outside without overcooking it on the inside, remember these pieces are just 1/4" thick and 1/2" long so they overcook easily, and are wet with marinade. The refrigerator not only makes the inside cold, but also dries the exterior.

Dusting with corn starch also helps meat brown faster.

On the other hand, if the beef is very fatty, like a good skirt steak, then I want it room temperature, because I want some of the fat to render off during the brief cooking.

Chicken is different. You don't want rare or raw chicken, so the goal is different, hence the method.

I am also a chicken perfectionist.

I agree the bird must be room temperature.

Then it must be spatch-cocked.

Then brined — also with some freshly squeezed lemon and garlic.

Then quickly seared in a large and very hot pan.

Then finished in a hot fairly hot oven.

I will take some pics the next time.

My brine recipe.

Brine For Poultry

Brine (quantity for turkey):
1 qt of water with 6 cloves of garlic (smashed) and peppercorns (cracked) steeped for 20 minutes.
Turn off heat, add 1lb kosher salt and 1 lb dark brown sugar, and 5 quarts of water, stir until completely mixed, add a little more water if necessary.
Ice for a few minutes until very cold.
Put bird in for 8 – 15 hours. Make sure the skin has been pulled away from the meat on the bird.

¼ recipe of brine for chicken. Brine for 6 hours.

Why would you put sugar in a poultry brine???

Also, I think you are way heavy on salt. Maximum 3 Tablespoons per quart IMO.

Because Alton Brown did. This is slightly modified from his brine.

That's a lot of brine, I know salt and sugar are inexpensive but it still seems wasteful. Suppose you put the turkey in a plastic bag, then pour in some brine, and twist the bag down to get all the air out? Maybe you could brine a turkey using only a gallon or so of brine?

Now, for something a little different. Has anyone tried using a syringe and needle, and injecting weird and flavourful stuff into the chicken? I mean, like horseradish, wasabi, hot pepper oil, Dijon mustard, etc?

I use a syringe for various things. Injecting Jack Daniels into roast ham is a favourite. Also great is injecting rum into a watermelon, and letting this sit in the fridge for a day or so.

For chicken, I have used the syringe to inject molten butter under the skin.

I soaked my bird this weekend in Achote mixed with vinegar.

I put it on a smoker over medium heat figure 270ish for 3 hours The smoker that I use is charcoal I made it smaller by using a cardboard lid to reduce the volume instead of the doam lid that it came stock with. In the water bath I added the rest over achote/vinegar mix.

I surrounded the chicken with corn on the cob with all of the leaves on.

For the corn I took it off of the cob, put it in a large bowl added 1/2 a cup of Mexican cheese, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, 2 tsp of mayonnaise, 2tbs butter and 1/2 tbs on Pico de gallo and 1tsb of fresh lime juice

Served with backed yams with a bit of brown sugar

Only thing I use a syringe for is to inject mojo into my pig roast-cuban style:
Three Guys from Miam Pigroast! The Best Way to Roast that Hog!

I really would give up on those chickens. Buy some pork instead. Even a duck or goose will be better. ;)

I am glad we eat 95% wild game at home these days.

George

Pre-heat to 500, stuff the chicken. Rub olive oil over everything. Empty the spice shelf onto the chicken, garlic, onions and carrots on outside. Throw in oven and lower to 350 for 1-1/4 hours, or more if it's a bigger bird.

Mushroom and wild rice stuffing this time, plus some on the stove top (used cashews, dried mushrooms, dried cherries and a little fresh ginger root). Typically do a potato stuffing and fresh Rosemary though.

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take a $5 rotisserie chicken from costco. cut it into serving pieces..then roast it under the broiler to make it crispy. then take all those mystery juices in the plastic pan, build a roux..add stock..simmer..squeeze in some lemon juice..add fresh herbs..serve over pieces with hot buttered rice.

take a bow. hide plastic box..