Monday, February 16, 2009

Alice Waters' Roast Chicken

If I had to choose one last dish to eat before I died, it would be safe to say that I would choose roast chicken. Something about its rustic simplicity appeals to me and my taste buds. I've tried a bunch of recipes, including Julia Child's and Donna Hay's, but no recipe comes close to Alice Waters.

Alice is a culinary institution. Arguably, she created what is now known as California cuisine and is a giant force in the slow food movement. You may of heard of her little Berkeley restaurant, Chez Panisse? Yeah, I thought that would get your attention.

This recipe is unreal and it is by far the recipe that I share most with folks looking to make a tasty dinner at home. One chicken can feed up to 4 people but 3 people more comfortably. As Alice says below in an excerpt from her book, The Art of Simple Food, seasoning the bird as soon as you can (and up to 2 days) is key. This helps lock in all the juiciness and give the skin some crunch. Also, I like a ton of garlic with mine so I'll throw in about 30 cloves around the pan in the cavity. Slicing fingerlings lengthwise and roasting them in the pan is also one of my favorite treats.

Click here for Alice's recipe and more!


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5 comments:

Speedcat Hollydale said...

Excellent!!!

I linked this post in my "Chicken Tueday". Hello from SpeedyCat in Minnesota :-)

Lucille Buell said...

This was a very helpful explanation of how to make delicious roast chicken. Thanks for deconstructing it by category. Well written too.

Elizabeth said...

Thank you both for your great comments. Alice deserves credit for the recipe s right from her great cookbook. Happy eating!

James said...

There's nothing like a roast chicken. So comforting, tasty and endlessly versatile. This evening I just roasted it by stuffing a lemon in the cavity, and olive oil, salt and pepper on the skin. It has been too warm for a full roast today so I did it with a salad of parma ham, olives, mixed tomatoes (fresh and sun dried) and anchovies.

Elizabeth said...

James, that sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing!