French · Main · Easy
Poulet Roti
The perfect roast chicken: crackling golden skin, juicy meat, and pan drippings begging to be mopped up with bread.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Poulet Roti, in 5 ideas
- Dry skin is crisp skin; pat the bird down and even air-dry it uncovered in the fridge overnight.
- High heat at the start renders the fat and crisps the skin; there is no need for complicated temperature changes.
- Resting is not optional; carve too soon and the juices flood the board instead of staying in the meat.
- The carcass makes a superb stock; freeze it until you have time.
- Leftover roast chicken is the foundation of a week of great meals.
What you need
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (4 to 5 lbs)
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 lemon, halved
- 1 head garlic, halved crosswise
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 cup chicken broth
How to make it
Directions
- Heat the oven to 425F. Pat the chicken completely dry inside and out.
- Rub with butter and olive oil, then season generously with salt and pepper, inside and out.
- Stuff the cavity with the lemon, garlic, and thyme. Tie the legs together.
- Roast breast-side up 1 hour 15 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and the thigh reads 165F.
- Rest 15 minutes before carving; this keeps the juices in the meat.
- Deglaze the pan with the broth, scraping up the browned bits, for an instant jus.
Money saver. Buy the best chicken you can afford; with so few ingredients, the bird itself is the whole dish. Air-chilled chickens roast up crisper.