Thomas Keller’s Roast Chicken Recipe with Marinade Injector

by Diana

Thomas Keller recently opened his Beverly Hills restaurant Bouchon , but to get his food at home is a dream come true. This is the award-winning Keller’s Favorite Simple Roast Chicken Recipe, which I added one simple step of injecting Keller’s roast chicken with a marinade injector.

Thomas Keller’s Favorite Simple Roast Chicken with Marinade Injector

Thomas Keller 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

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 (like this 3-qt. Mauviel Saute Pan with Lid ) or roasting pan (like this Le Creuset 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.

Image and Recipe via Lawyer Loves Lunch

I’ve added a recipe for a simple Green Bean and Potato Salad that I think would go great with Thomas Keller’s Chicken Roast!

Green Bean Potato Salad

image and recipe via Weekof Menus

Green Bean Potato Salad
Serves 6-8

8 oz green beans, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
3 lbs small red or white skinned potatoes (I did the small round dutch yellow that you can get at Trader Joe’s)

1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dijon mustard

Cook green beans in well-salted, boiling water. Cook for 4 minutes. Drain, rinse with cold water and pat dry.

Place cut potatoes in well salted water. Bring to a boil. Cook for 8-10 minutes until potatoes are just tender. (Poke a fork to see as cooking time will ultimately vary based on size of potato.) Drain and set aside.

Quickly mix together white vinegar, olive oil, shallot, parsley and mustard to make a dressing. Pour over the still warm potatoes and toss well to coat. [Side note: with a salad with this many ingredients, these 8 piece glass prep bowls let me get cooking and eating quickly!] Cool completely. Once potatoes are cooled, add green beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve room temperature or cold.

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