The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (156 page)
Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
SERVES 4 TO 6
For best results, use a 16-ounce can of beer. A larger can will work, but avoid using a 12-ounce can, as it will not support the weight of the chicken. A vertical poultry roaster can be used in place of the beer can, but we recommend only using a model that can be placed in a roasting pan. Taste your marmalade before using it; if it is overly sweet, reduce the amount of maple syrup in the glaze by 2 tablespoons.
CHICKEN
1 | (6- to 7-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded |
2¹⁄ | teaspoons salt |
1 | teaspoon baking powder |
1 | teaspoon pepper |
1 | (16-ounce) can beer |
GLAZE
1 | teaspoon cornstarch |
1 | tablespoon water, plus extra as needed |
¹⁄ | cup maple syrup |
¹⁄ | cup orange marmalade |
¹⁄ | cup cider vinegar |
2 | tablespoons unsalted butter |
2 | tablespoons Dijon mustard |
1 | teaspoon pepper |
1. FOR THE CHICKEN:
Place chicken breast side down on cutting board. Use tip of sharp knife to make four 1-inch incisions along back of chicken. Using your fingers, gently loosen skin covering breast and thighs. Using metal skewer, poke 15 to 20 holes in fat deposits on top of breast and thighs. Tuck wings behind back.
2.
Combine salt, baking powder, and pepper in bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle evenly all over with salt mixture. Rub in mixture with hands, coating entire surface evenly. Set chicken, breast side up, on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for 30 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
3.
Open beer can and pour out (or drink) about half of liquid. Place can in middle of roasting pan and spray lightly with vegetable oil spray. Slide chicken over can so drumsticks reach down to bottom of can, chicken stands upright, and breast is perpendicular to bottom of pan. Roast chicken until skin starts to turn golden and breast registers 140 degrees, 1¹⁄
4
to 1¹⁄
2
hours. Carefully remove chicken and pan from oven and increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.
4. FOR THE GLAZE:
While chicken cooks, stir cornstarch and water together in bowl until no lumps remain. Bring remaining glaze ingredients to simmer in medium saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to ³⁄
4
cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Slowly whisk in cornstarch mixture; return to simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.
5.
When oven has come to temperature, place 1¹⁄
2
cups water in bottom of roasting pan and return to oven. Roast until entire chicken skin is browned and crisp, breast registers 160 degrees, and thighs register 175 degrees, 24 to 30 minutes. Check chicken halfway through roasting; if top is becoming too dark, place 7-inch square piece of aluminum foil over neck and wingtips of chicken and continue to roast. (If pan begins to smoke and sizzle, add additional ¹⁄
2
cup water to pan.)
6.
Brush chicken with ¹⁄
4
cup glaze and continue to roast until browned and sticky, about 5 minutes. (If glaze has become stiff, return to low heat to soften.) Carefully remove chicken from oven, transfer chicken, still on can, to carving board, and brush with ¹⁄
4
cup glaze. Let rest for 20 minutes.
7.
While chicken rests, strain juices from pan through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator; allow liquid to settle for 5 minutes. Whisk ¹⁄
2
cup juices into remaining ¹⁄
4
cup glaze in saucepan and set over low heat. Using 2 large wads of paper towels, carefully lift chicken off can and onto carving board. Carve chicken, adding any accumulated juices to sauce. Serve, passing sauce separately.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Authentic versions of Peruvian garlic-lime chicken require a wood-fired oven and hard-to-find ingredients. We wanted to replicate this robustly flavored dish using an oven and supermarket staples. A paste of salt, garlic, oil, lime zest, and cumin rubbed underneath and on top of the skin produced well-seasoned meat and a heady flavor. To this basic paste we added fresh mint (replacing the black mint paste called for in authentic recipes), oregano, pepper, and minced habanero chile for tangy spice, while a little smoked paprika subtly mimicked the smokiness we were missing from the rotisserie. Roasting the chicken vertically allowed it to cook evenly, while using two different oven temperatures helped us achieve both moist meat and well-browned skin.
SERVES 3 TO 4
If habanero chiles are unavailable, 1 tablespoon of minced serrano chile can be substituted. Wear gloves when working with hot chiles. This recipe calls for a vertical poultry roaster. If you don’t have one, substitute a 12-ounce can of beer. Open the beer and pour out (or drink) about half of the liquid. Spray the can lightly with vegetable oil spray and proceed with the recipe. Serve with Spicy Mayonnaise (recipe follows).
¹⁄ | cup fresh mint leaves |
6 | garlic cloves, chopped coarse |
3 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
1 | tablespoon salt |
1 | tablespoon pepper |
1 | tablespoon ground cumin |
1 | tablespoon sugar |
2 | teaspoons smoked paprika |
2 | teaspoons dried oregano |
2 | teaspoons finely grated lime zest plus ¹⁄ |
1 | teaspoon minced habanero chile |
1 | (3¹⁄ |
1.
Process all ingredients except chicken in blender until smooth paste forms, 10 to 20 seconds. Use your fingers to gently loosen skin covering breast and thighs; place half of paste under skin, directly on meat of breast and thighs. Gently press on skin to distribute paste over meat. Spread entire exterior surface of chicken with remaining paste. Tuck wings behind back. Place chicken in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.
2.
Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Place vertical roaster on rimmed baking sheet. Slide chicken onto vertical roaster so drumsticks reach down to bottom of roaster, chicken stands upright, and breast is perpendicular to bottom of pan. Roast chicken until skin just begins to turn golden and breast registers 140 degrees, 45 to 55 minutes. Carefully remove chicken and pan from oven and increase oven temperature to 500 degrees.
3.
Once oven has come to temperature, place 1 cup water in bottom of baking sheet and continue to roast until entire chicken skin is browned and crisp, breast registers 160 degrees, and thighs register 175 degrees, about 20 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through roasting. Check chicken halfway through roasting; if top is becoming too dark, place 7-inch square piece of aluminum foil over neck and wingtips of chicken and continue to roast. (If pan begins to smoke and sizzle, add additional water to pan.)
4.
Carefully remove chicken from oven and let rest, still on vertical roaster, for 20 minutes. Using 2 large wads of paper towels, carefully lift chicken off vertical roaster and onto carving board. Carve chicken and serve, passing Spicy Mayonnaise separately.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP
If you have concerns about consuming raw eggs, ¹⁄
4
cup of an egg substitute can be used in place of the egg.
1 | large egg |
2 | tablespoons water |
1 | tablespoon minced onion |
1 | tablespoon lime juice |
1 | tablespoon minced fresh cilantro |
1 | tablespoon minced jarred jalapeños |
1 | garlic clove, minced |
1 | teaspoon yellow mustard |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
1 | cup vegetable oil |
Process all ingredients except oil in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. With machine running, slowly drizzle in oil in steady stream until mayonnaise-like consistency is reached, scraping down bowl as necessary.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
For a roast chicken recipe that gets the entire bird—not just the breast—seasoned throughout, we butterflied the chicken and made shallow cuts in the dark meat. A thick herb paste not only adhered to the now-flat chicken but also penetrated the pockets created by the cuts, giving us the flavorful and aromatic chicken recipe we were looking for.
SERVES 4
If using kosher chicken, do not brine in step 1. If you like, substitute an equal amount of basil for the tarragon and replace the thyme with rosemary, oregano, or sage. Do not use dried herbs, which lose potency during cooking and turn the dish gritty. The chicken should not exceed 5 pounds or it won’t fit in the skillet. The chicken may slightly overhang the skillet at first, but once browned it will fit.
CHICKEN
1 | (5-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded |
¹⁄ | cup plus ¹⁄ |
6 | scallions, green parts only, sliced thin |
¹⁄ | cup fresh tarragon leaves |
1 | tablespoon fresh thyme leaves |
1 | garlic clove, minced |
Pepper | |
6 | tablespoons unsalted butter, softened |
1 | tablespoon vegetable oil |
SAUCE
1–1¹⁄ | cups low-sodium chicken broth |
2 | teaspoons all-purpose flour |
1 | teaspoon lemon juice |
Salt and pepper |
1. FOR THE CHICKEN:
Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of backbone to remove it. Flatten breastbone and tuck wings underneath. Using sharp knife, lightly score skin of thighs and legs, making 2 slashes on each part about ¹⁄
8
inch into meat and about ³⁄
4
inch apart. Dissolve ¹⁄
2
cup salt in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Submerge chicken in brine, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2.
Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place scallions, tarragon, thyme, garlic, ¹⁄
4
teaspoon pepper, and remaining ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt on cutting board; mince to fine paste. Transfer herb paste to medium bowl, add butter, and mix until combined. Transfer 2 tablespoons herb butter to separate bowl and refrigerate; set aside remainder at room temperature.
3.
Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Using your fingers, gently loosen center portion of skin covering each side of breast; place 1 tablespoon softened herb butter under skin, directly on meat in center of each side of breast. Gently press on skin to distribute butter over meat. Season with pepper.
4.
Heat oil in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place chicken skin side down in skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer skillet to oven and roast chicken for 25 minutes. Using 2 large wads of paper towels, flip chicken skin side up. Using spoon or spatula, evenly coat skin with remaining softened herb butter and return to oven. Roast chicken until skin is golden brown, breast registers 160 degrees, and thighs register 175 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest for 20 minutes.
5. FOR THE SAUCE:
While chicken rests, pour pan juices into fat separator; allow liquid to settle for 5 minutes. Pour juices into 2-cup liquid measuring cup and add enough chicken broth to measure 1¹⁄
2
cups. Heat 2 teaspoons fat from fat separator in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to rapid simmer and cook until reduced to 1 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in any accumulated chicken juices; return to simmer and cook for 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in cold herb butter and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Carve chicken and serve, passing sauce separately.