Wicked Good Le Poulet

Sometimes, simple is better.  In the case of roast chicken, I've often found that the more I try to do/add, the less rewarding the final result becomes.  With thanks to Cook's Illustrated, I discovered the best & easiest way to roast le Poulet.

Wicked Good & Mind-bogglingly Simple Roast Chicken

• One whole chicken (in the 2-4 pound range - free range is better for a variety of reasons), cleaned, rinsed, and patted dry on the inside & out

• Kosher salt

• Fresh ground black pepper

• 2 t finely chopped thyme

• Unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 450F

Salt & pepper inside of chicken.  Using cooking twine, tightly tie wings together and legs together - covering breast.  Uniformly coat chicken with salt.  Add pepper to taste.

Using a cooling rack (or something similar) place chicken (back-side up) on top of roasting pan.  Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes.  Turn chicken over and roast for another 30-40 minutes.

Remove from oven.  Sprinkle thyme over chicken and wrap in foil.  Let rest for 10-15 minutes.  Remove twine, slather with a little butter, and dig in!  Utensils are optional.

This is one wine-flexible dish.  Try an exuberant red (something along the lines of a Beaujolais Cru), a weighty white, or even a pink wine if the mood strikes.

Comments

[thecaveman]

or maybe a soft red from Provence?
Bill

[Beau]

Absolutely. Any recommends?

[Lenn]

I'll take a dry riesling any day...but I'd take most any wine at this point...I'm starting to get the shakes!

[Beau]

Relax. Take another Vicodin. Everything will be alright.