French Roast Chicken (Poulet Rôti)
Known as Poulet Rôti, a French Roast Chicken is an unbeatable favorite in any household to wrap up the week. In true French fashion, mine is full of garlic, herbs and lots of butter – sneaked both under and over the skin before cooking and basted with plenty more during cooking. The result is succulent flavors, juicy meat all around and a crispy golden skin. The Traditional “Poulet Rôti du Dimanche” Not a specific recipe, “Poulet rôti” simply refers to the classic Sunday roast chicken in France. The French absolutely…
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr 15 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 medium chicken (about 2.75lbs/1.25kg), skin-on
- 2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 whole lemon, cut in 4 wedges
- 4 garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- For the Vegetables:
- 2 cups root vegetables, roughly chopped (potatoes, carrots &/or parsnips)¼ tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
- For Basting :
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp Herbs de Provence
Instructions
- 1
Step 1 – One hour prior to cooking, take the chicken out of the fridge. Rinse it thoroughly under cold water and place it on a cutting board. Pat the whole chicken dry with paper towels, making sure you get into all the nooks. It is important to get the chicken as dry as possible so the chicken browns properly. Season the chicken with salt, including inside the cavity, under the wings and between the breasts and the legs. Let the chicken sit on the board for 1 hour.
- 2
Pre-heat your oven to 390° F/200°C with a rack in the middle.
- 3
Step 2 – Cut the 4 tablespoons of room temperature butter into small chunks. Using your index finger, gently lift the breast skin of the bird and place little butter chunks under the skin atop the breasts (about 2 tablespoons). You may have to slightly "push" to separate the skin from the meat - be gentle. Cover the outside of the bird with the rest of the butter, covering the breasts, legs and wings.
- 4
Step 3 – Stuff the chicken with the lemon wedges, 4 garlic cloves and a sprig of rosemary.
- 5
Step 4 – Truss the chicken. Season it all over with black pepper (underneath too).
- 6
Step 5 – In a roasting pan or large baking dish, combine the root vegetables, salt, black pepper, extra-virgin olive oil and lemon zest. Toss to coat evenly. Place the bird in the pan, onto the vegetables. Garnish pan with remaining rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves. Add ¼ cup (60ml) water at the bottom of the dish and place in the oven.
- 7
Step 6 – Bake the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes, until the skin starts to turn gold.
- 8
Step 7 – Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small sauce pan over low heat. Add the smashed garlic, black pepper and Herbs de Provence and let it infuse.
- 9
Step 8 – After the first 20 minutes mark, take the pan out of the oven and baste the chicken (see: "how to baste the chicken" section above). Place the chicken back into the oven immediately. Baste the chicken every 20 minutes or so.
- 10
Step 9 – After 1 hour and 15 minutes (total cooking time), check if the chicken is cooked: a meat thermometer should read 165°F/64°C or juices should run clear when chicken thigh is pierced with a skewer or pointy knife. Take the pan out of the oven, leave the vegetables in the pan and place the chicken onto a cutting board. Cover it with foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. Give a toss to the vegetables – you can place them back in the oven if you feel they aren’t crispy enough for your liking.