Thomas Keller’s Roast Chicken
I read somewhere that Thomas Keller’s suggestion as to how to eat this perfectly simple roast chicken is to serve it with a knob of good butter and a dollop of Dijon mustard, then swoop each bite through them. Good lord it’s delicious. Don’t skip this….it’s sublime.
Consider roasting a second chicken while you’re at it, because, why not? The oven’s already going and you can save the second one for salads, sandwiches, tacos, casseroles- you name it. Having cooked chicken on hand just makes life better. I’m all about that.
Yield: 4–6 servings
Prep time: About 15 minutes
Cook time: 50–60 minutes, plus 15 minutes resting
Ingredients
1 organic whole chicken, 3–5 pounds
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
Unsalted butter, for serving
Dijon mustard, for serving
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450°F.
Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels, inside and out. A dry chicken helps create crisp skin.
Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Truss the chicken with kitchen twine.
Season the outside generously with kosher salt, about 1 tablespoon, and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the chicken in a roasting or sauté pan and roast without basting until the skin is deeply golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the thigh, about 50 to 60 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Add the thyme to the pan and baste the chicken with the pan juices and thyme.
Transfer to a cutting board and rest for 15 minutes before carving.
Serve with butter and Dijon mustard alongside.
