… so much for that goal of posting something every day! After spending so long snowed in alone at home, I happily took a few days away from the computer to start to feel like myself again. I spent part of that time repurposing the extra bread I had made. I made french toast one day, a breakfast sandwich on focaccia another day… basically I ate more bread this week than I’ve eaten in a very long time. And now I’m ready for a return to the food I normally eat.

I promised a few days ago that I would post about roasting a chicken at some point, and I have now decided that day has arrived! I made one last night, so please excuse the dimly lit photos.

My chicken recipe is  barely a recipe at all… it’s more like a process. I was a believer in Bittman’s recipe from “How to Cook Everything”, and I still appreciate it, but earlier this winter a friend recommended Thomas Keller’s 3-ingredient chicken. What are the 3-ingredients, you may be asking? Chicken. Salt. Pepper. That’s literally it. Just trust me on this…

Step 1

Buy a whole chicken. Bring up to room temperature, unwrap it, remove the giblets, neck, or whatever else may be hiding inside it, and dry it very very thoroughly, inside and out. The philosophy with this chicken recipe is that steam is the enemy, so you really want it as dry as you can get it.

Step 2

Place chicken in an oven-safe dish. I use an All-Clad skillet. I’m sure any baking dish would be fine. Truss the legs, tuck back the wings, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Roast in a preheated 425 degree oven for about an hour (a meat thermometer is useful here — you want the thigh to reach 165 degrees)

Step 4

Let rest for 10 minutes while you finish preparing other side dishes. And since you’re the cook, you’re allowed to eat the wings right off the bird. Enjoy!

It sounds too easy, right? But it comes out tender and juicy with crispy perfect skin every time.

This one wasn’t quite as pretty as some of the others I’ve roasted, but since they’re just for me, and the taste is always  fantastic, it doesn’t really matter, does it?

Save the carcass in the freezer until you’re ready to make a batch of chicken stock, and enjoy the meat for dinner tonight and repurposed in a variety of meals throughout the week [note to self: make a list of ways you repurpose this chicken throughout the week…].