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roast chicken
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5 from 3 votes

classic roast chicken

A good roast chicken is hard to beat. Add a pan sauce and you have a winner every time.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Main
Cuisine: French
Servings: 4
Author: glebe kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 3-4 lb chicken - bigger birds work but you will need to roast longer
  • olive oil
  • kosher salt
  • pepper
  • 1/3 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1 Tbsp concentrated chicken stock

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 400F. Pre-heat your roasting pan in the oven as it heats up.
  • Untruss your bird and rub with olive oil. Season inside and out with salt and pepper.
  • Place the chicken in the pre-heated pan (this sears the bottom of the bird and prevents the skin from sticking to the pan - most of the time).
  • Roast for 15-20 minutes. By now there should be enough rendered fat to baste the chicken. There's also likely to be some bits of fond (that golden brown stuff in the bottom of the pan). Fond is essential to success so avoid spooning it onto the bird when basting - the goal is basting with chicken fat here. Keep the fond in the pan - it's your sauce...
  • Continue roasting until the breast reads 165F and the thigh reads 175F. The thigh is almost certain to be done if the breast makes it to 165F.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan. Tip the pan and carefully spoon off the clear chicken fat, making sure to leave all fond and any drippings in the pan. Drippings are the brown liquid hiding under the clear fat.
  • Place the pan over medium heat. Deglaze with the white wine, making sure to melt all the wonderful fond you have created. Reduce the white wine until it is almost completely gone.
  • Add 1/4 cup of chicken stock and scrape any caramelized goodness that accumulates on the sides back into the pan. Reduce by about half and add the second 1/4 cup of stock. If you are using the concentrated chicken stock add it now.
  • When you get back to your chicken you will see some liquid has accumulated on the cutting board. Pour this into the sauce. When you start to carve up the chicken and it gives off more liquid pour this into the sauce as well. Reduce until you have a nice viscous sauce.