Simple Roast Chicken
This recipe is inspired by one from Thomas Keller, executive chef of The French Laundry in San Francisco. We love it because it really is simple, and it showcases our naturally flavourful pasture-raised chickens
Ingredients:
One 2- to 3-pound chicken, trussed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp minced fresh thyme (optional)
Preparation:
1) Preheat the oven to 450F. Bring the chicken out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature (this will take about 45 minutes). Pat the chicken dry inside and out; the less moisture, the crispier the skin will become.
2) Salt and pepper the cavity of the bird. Generously salt the outside.
3) Place the chicken in a roasting pan and into the preheated oven. Roast to an internal breast temperature of 185F (85C), about 50 or 60 minutes. Resist the temptation to open the oven and baste the bird.
4) Remove the chicken from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the pan juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board. Serve any way you like: with roast vegetable and mashed potatoes; rice and a green salad; baked beans and coleslaw; or, as Thomas Keller recommends, with fresh butter and a little mustard.