And so Derek continues to plow through the Ad Hoc cookbook for guidance and meal perfection. Next stop: Chicken.
Rather than buying a whole chicken, he simply purchased a full chicken breast - bone-in, skin on - which has two full chicken breast servings on it. For two people, it's perfect, potentially with a little bit of leftovers to boot.
We didn't have turnips or rutabagas like the recipe called for so we just modified the roasted vegetable portion to include what we already had on hand. Don't be confused with the actual directions - they are for a whole chicken and the original vegetables. Cook time for a chicken breast needs to be based on internal temperature and not the time listed below so a thermometer is key - best to have on that can keep a constant read on the temperature while the meat is in the oven.
ROAST CHICKEN WITH ROOT VEGETABLES
(adapted from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc)
INGREDIENTS ARE WHAT WE USED, MODIFIED FROM WHAT THE ORIGINAL RECIPE STATED
1 whole chicken breast
1 clove garlic, mashed
fresh thyme sprigs
salt and pepper
5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cippolini onions, peeled and wedged (we used part of a red onion too)
1 medium potato (we had russet), skin-on and chopped
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 T butter
1/2 lemon
RETURN TO THOMAS KELLER'S ORIGINAL RECIPE:
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 1.5 hours before roasting.
Heat the oven to 475F.
Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper, add the garlic, 4 thyme sprigs, and the lemon half in the cavity. For a nicer presentation, truss the chicken.
Cut the rutabagas and turnips in similar sized pieces, about 3/4 inch wedges. Cut the carrots in half crosswise and again lengthwise. Keep the young potatoes whole, or, if they are a bit too big cut them in half. Place all veggies in a large bowl, add 1/4 cup of canola oil, 2-3 thyme sprigs, salt, pepper, and toss well. Transfer them to a roasting pan, make a small space in the center to place the chicken. Rub the remaining canola oil all over the skin of the chicken, seasoning it again with salt and pepper.
Just before roasting, add pats of butter over the breast, or brush with some duck fat (it gives a deeper flavor to the chicken,).
Roast at 475F for 25 minutes, lower the temperature to 400F and roast for 1 hour, but check the internal temperature after 45 minutes, if it reaches 160F remove the chicken from the oven. Allow the chicken to rest under an aluminum foil tent for 20 minutes before carving.
A few minutes before serving, place the roasting dish on the stove and heat the vegetables, moving them around to coat with the juices accumulated during roasting.
The vegetables were to die for. Why? because they were cooked in all of the chicken goodness for a long period of time. Therefore, they were probably not the healthiest version of the vegetable possible, but they were incredible. I don't see how any anti-vegetable person could not like them.
As for the chicken, due to the shape of the chicken breast, one part of the breast was super tender and moist while the other was probably equivalent to a normal piece of chicken that you'd be happy with but is just a little bit on the dry side. Both were tasty but when biting into a tender piece after a slightly dry one - wow, the difference is apparent.
This recipe is best eaten skin on. I was amazed by how crispy the skin was - like potato chip crispy. though I tried a few bites with the skin and realize that it's definitely the way to go taste-wise, for health reasons, I removed most of the skin and have to then season the actual meat with a little salt, pepper, and lemon juice to add a little more flavor. The chicken with the skin is certainly flavorful enough on its own.
Another restaurant quality meal compliments to Thomas Keller and Derek for interpreting his directions!
Rather than buying a whole chicken, he simply purchased a full chicken breast - bone-in, skin on - which has two full chicken breast servings on it. For two people, it's perfect, potentially with a little bit of leftovers to boot.
We didn't have turnips or rutabagas like the recipe called for so we just modified the roasted vegetable portion to include what we already had on hand. Don't be confused with the actual directions - they are for a whole chicken and the original vegetables. Cook time for a chicken breast needs to be based on internal temperature and not the time listed below so a thermometer is key - best to have on that can keep a constant read on the temperature while the meat is in the oven.
ROAST CHICKEN WITH ROOT VEGETABLES
(adapted from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc)
INGREDIENTS ARE WHAT WE USED, MODIFIED FROM WHAT THE ORIGINAL RECIPE STATED
1 whole chicken breast
1 clove garlic, mashed
fresh thyme sprigs
salt and pepper
5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 cippolini onions, peeled and wedged (we used part of a red onion too)
1 medium potato (we had russet), skin-on and chopped
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 T butter
1/2 lemon
RETURN TO THOMAS KELLER'S ORIGINAL RECIPE:
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 1.5 hours before roasting.
Heat the oven to 475F.
Season the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper, add the garlic, 4 thyme sprigs, and the lemon half in the cavity. For a nicer presentation, truss the chicken.
Cut the rutabagas and turnips in similar sized pieces, about 3/4 inch wedges. Cut the carrots in half crosswise and again lengthwise. Keep the young potatoes whole, or, if they are a bit too big cut them in half. Place all veggies in a large bowl, add 1/4 cup of canola oil, 2-3 thyme sprigs, salt, pepper, and toss well. Transfer them to a roasting pan, make a small space in the center to place the chicken. Rub the remaining canola oil all over the skin of the chicken, seasoning it again with salt and pepper.
Just before roasting, add pats of butter over the breast, or brush with some duck fat (it gives a deeper flavor to the chicken,).
Roast at 475F for 25 minutes, lower the temperature to 400F and roast for 1 hour, but check the internal temperature after 45 minutes, if it reaches 160F remove the chicken from the oven. Allow the chicken to rest under an aluminum foil tent for 20 minutes before carving.
A few minutes before serving, place the roasting dish on the stove and heat the vegetables, moving them around to coat with the juices accumulated during roasting.
The vegetables were to die for. Why? because they were cooked in all of the chicken goodness for a long period of time. Therefore, they were probably not the healthiest version of the vegetable possible, but they were incredible. I don't see how any anti-vegetable person could not like them.
As for the chicken, due to the shape of the chicken breast, one part of the breast was super tender and moist while the other was probably equivalent to a normal piece of chicken that you'd be happy with but is just a little bit on the dry side. Both were tasty but when biting into a tender piece after a slightly dry one - wow, the difference is apparent.
This recipe is best eaten skin on. I was amazed by how crispy the skin was - like potato chip crispy. though I tried a few bites with the skin and realize that it's definitely the way to go taste-wise, for health reasons, I removed most of the skin and have to then season the actual meat with a little salt, pepper, and lemon juice to add a little more flavor. The chicken with the skin is certainly flavorful enough on its own.
Another restaurant quality meal compliments to Thomas Keller and Derek for interpreting his directions!
I just got that book (Amazon prime!) and read a little of it last night, really good so far
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