Roast Chicken with Bread Salad
Serving Size:4-6|Prep Time:20minutes|Cook Time:50minutes
Directions
  1. Pat the chicken dry, loosen breast and thigh skin, and carefully tuck fresh herbs into the pocket without tearing. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Loosely cover with cheesecloth or a clean paper towel and refrigerate overnight.
  2. When ready to prepare meal, slice bread loaf in half and coat with 3 tablespoons olive oil, place on baking sheet to broil both sides until browned, about 2 minutes each side. Carefully remove bread from oven and let cool slightly. Tear into 2–3-inch pieces and place into a bowl.
  3. Mix Champagne vinegar, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper to make vinaigrette. Toss ¼ cup of the vinaigrette with the bread.
  4. In a small bowl, soak currants in red wine vinegar mixture.
  5. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  6. Heat a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Wipe chicken dry, put in skillet breast side up, place in oven and roast for 30 minutes. Turn bird over and roast 20 minutes more, then flip back over to re-crisp breast skin, about 5-10 minutes.
  7. While chicken cooks, toast pine nuts in a pan on the stove. Then add to bread.
  8. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and scallions and sauté 2–3 minutes, until golden. Add to bread and toss well.
  9. Drain currants, add to bread and drizzle with chicken stock or salted water. Put bread salad into a small baking dish and tent with foil. Transfer to oven when chicken gets its last turn.
  10. Remove chicken from oven and turn off heat, leaving bread salad in oven for 5 additional minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Pour off fat, leaving caramelized bits and glaze in the pan. Add a tablespoon of water to loosen the glaze. Simmer over medium heat for a couple minutes, scraping the pan to loosen the glaze. Turn heat to low while carving the chicken.
  11. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes, then slice into 8 pieces. Add warm glaze and greens to the bread salad. Toss thoroughly and plate the bread salad, topping with the carved chicken pieces.
Chef’s Narrative
Inspired by famed chef Judy Rogers, this roast chicken will become your new family favorite. After refridgerating with herbs overnight, the chicken is ready to pop in the oven, filling your kitchen with a savory fall aroma while you cook the salad.
Recipe Substitutions
Ingredients
Roast Chicken
  • 1small whole chicken2 3/4 to 3 1/2 pounds
  • 4tender sprigs fresh thyme, marjoram, rosemary or sageabout 1/2-inch long
  • salt3/4 teaspoon per pound of chicken
  • 1teaspoonblack pepperfreshly ground
  • 1tablespoonwater
Bread Salad
  • 1/2loafday-old Italian breadnot sourdough
  • 8tablespoonsolive oildivided
  • 1 1/2tablespoonsChampagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • salt and black pepperfreshly ground
  • 1tablespoondried currants or golden raisins
  • 1teaspoonred wine vinegar mixed with 1 tablespoon warm water
  • 2tablespoonspine nutsdry toasted
  • 3clovesgarlicslivered
  • 1/4cupslivered scallionsabout 4, including a little of the green part
  • 2tablespoonschicken stock or waterlightly salted
  • handfuls of arugula (rocket), frisee, or red mustard greenscarefully washed and dried
AllergensWheat