Jan 16

Jan 16 The restorative effect of Zuni Chicken

There’s something so comforting about a really good roasted chicken. I was feeling a little out of sorts the other day - my youngest had just returned to school and it was a cold and rainy day. I knew the end of my day was going to be too busy to start cooking so I roasted the bird while I was working at home. The smells alone made me feel like I was already being taken care of. Surrounded by wafts of chicken, rosemary and thyme, my home felt homier. I couldn’t wait to carve into that bird.

I do believe the mark of a great chef is whether or not they can make a great roasted chicken. It sounds like it’s nothing but you need time and preplanning to make one well. That and a good chicken (I prefer organic, no hormones, free range - you know the drill). I had ordered one off of Fresh Direct’s website. My go to is usually Bell & Evans but Whole Foods has great ones and so does Stop & Shop. Luckily for me I had planned on making chicken the night before but my plans got diverted so my bird had an extra 18 hours sitting in the fridge. One of the key things with a good roast chicken is having 24 hours or more to let it air dry in the fridge after salting & peppering it.

Judy Rogers (of Zuni Cafe in San Francisco) is the acknowledged master of the chicken, I have friends who used to make a point of stopping in SF when they could just to eat her chicken! Fortunately for all of us, it’s pretty easy to replicate at home. The beauty of having it at home is that you will probably have enough for lunch the next day as well. These same friends and I often talk about how there’s nothing better than next day leftovers - especially when it’s a Zuni Chicken.

Ingredients

1 Whole chicken - make sure that the cavity is clear. A lot of times the neck and liver are left in the cavity.

1 bunch of Italian Parsley

1 lemon cut in quarters

Rosemary & Thyme

Kosher salt & pepper

Directions

At least one day before you are going to make the chicken, clean it off - meaning check that all the inside parts are out, trim back some of the excess skin in you need. Then, using kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, cover the chicken with the mix. I’ve never measure the amounts - I just place the chicken in a bowl and sprinkle it with the salt on one side, then grind fresh pepper on it, flip it over and do the same to the other side.
Cover the bird lightly with saran / plastic wrap and place in fridge and leave for 24 hours. If you didn’t preplan you can do a quick rest of 2 hours but I think it’s better to give it at least a day.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. It’s smart to leave only one rack in the oven. It’ll save on the need to clean racks if the chicken is spattering.
I like to cook the chicken in a skillet but you can use any type of roasting pan, dutch oven or even a cookie sheet. Whatever you use, place in the oven to preheat
While the oven is preheating, take out your bird. I like to put some paper towels down on a cutting board and then place the bird on that. One of the keys to a crisp skin is a dry chicken so pat the bird down with the towels and let sit for a while to air dry.
Roughly chop your parsley and then shove it under the skin of the chicken. It’s easier if you loosen the skin first but get it all over- the breast, bottom, through the neck portion.
Squeeze your lemon into the cavity and throw the lemons in as well. Silver Palate used this method with their turkey with oranges. It refreshes the chicken I think.
Take a handful of thyme & rosemary and throw that into the cavity as well
When the oven gets to the right temperature, take the skillet or roasting pan out. BE VERY CAREFUL - IT’LL BE VERY HOT.
Lift your bird up and place it on the skillet, breast side up. It’ll sizzle when it hits the surface.
Place in the oven and set your timer for 25 minutes.
After 25 minutes, flip the bird over - be really careful to get under the bird to lift it up and flip it, otherwise the skin may stick to the skillet
Roast for another 25 minutes
Take it out, flip it again. At this point it’s up to you to decide how much longer you may want to cook it. I typically do another 20 - 25 minutes. The correct internal cooking temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit. I usually don’t bother - relying more on the way it looks and smells.
Remove from oven when it’s done and let sit for a few minutes. At this point you can let it rest in the pan or take out and place on a cutting board. Just be aware that it may ooze juices so I’ve learned to be a bit more patient and just let it cool down in the skillet. This can take an hour or more if you are really letting it cool but experts advise letting it rest for 15 minutes.
Once it’s out of the pan I pour off the excess fat, and, using chicken stock I deglaze the pan of all that goodness left in it. I boil down the juices - this becomes (for me) the gravy and next day a hot salad dressing.
Cut the chicken, one of the things I do is to take the legs off separately, then the wings and then I carve one half of the entire chicken off the breast bone, being careful to remove the skin in one piece. Then I cut that piece horizontally. I repeat that on the other side, then place all the meat on a plater and pour some of the gravy on top and then place the skin artistically over the cut breast meat. Serve with whatever rocks your boat at that time. Some of the variations I’ve done over the years are the bread pudding that Zuni uses, simple roasted vegetables that could be made separately or (if you use a roasting rack) under the chicken while it’s roasting or just a salad. Those recipes you can find later in the recipe section. Whatever is left can be used for the next few days in a salad or in a sandwich or just eat right out of the fridge as is.
Enjoy!