While working at Bouchon bistro in Napa Valley, I prepped A LOT of chickens destined for roasting. And while you can find recipes galore for Thomas Kellers roast chicken, almost all of them are missing one crucial step. Brining is any chefs secret to flavorful, succulent, crispy-on-the-outside-juicy-on-the-inside chicken. Heres an adapted recipe for roasting a chicken like I did at Bouchon in Yountville, California. And also how to get that crispy skin everyone fights over!
I worked at Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, California as a Culinary Institute extern (paid intern) for almost six months. Amidst the quiet chaos and snarky commentary from kids sous chefs ten years younger than me, I prepped a lot of chickens.
The roasted chicken dish at Thomas Kellers Bouchon is one of the most popular items on the menu. And the way we brined, then air-dried the chickens is why. Savory, exceedingly moist, and the crispiest skin on a chicken Ive ever tasted.
Brining a chicken, or any large piece of meat is an inexpensive way to infuse tons of wonderful, nuanced flavors into a rather bland dish. Its a simple step but does require a little planning. However, if you have the time and interest, brining is a great way to keep the breast meat from drying out in the oven.
In smaller, volume measurements, this works out to about a quarter-cup of kosher salt for every four cups of water. Use half the amount if using table salt.
Two quarts (eight cups) of water and half a cup of kosher salt is a good place to start for a smaller chicken. A four-pound chicken will require a gallon of water.
A simple brine of salt and water will certainly increase the juicy factor of any large piece of meat. But why stop there? Any herbs, bay leaves, or aromatic vegetables you have can be put to great use in a brine.
Sweet and herbal? Add several black tea bags in the warm brine and a good dose of honey.
Chef Tip: You never want to add a raw chicken to a warm brine, thats a recipe for bacteria growth. Lukewarm temperatures are where foodborne illnesses like salmonella and e. coli thrive and reproduce like rabbits. Dont submerge the chicken until the brine has completely cool (like refrigerator temperature cool).
Leave your brined (or not) chicken uncovered in the fridge for a couple of days. The skin will go from opaque to translucent. If you really want to get crazy, place a battery-operated fan next to it. No, the chefs at Bouchon dont do this. But the large walk-in coolers at most restaurants are equipped with fans that blow the cold air around. A small personal fan would be the home hack.
While you can roast a chicken in a variety of vessels, nestling the bottom cavity of a whole bird over the tube of a bundt (or similar) pan is my pick. It allows all the skin to crisp and for the flesh to cook evenly. I roasted three chickens this way once for a client who was entertaining an acclaimed architect with a picky palate. The meal received high praise, and I left with an autographed book. Perhaps proof of the power of food.
When I teach roasted chicken in my culinary classes, I use a simple sauté pan. This is a low-maintenance way to get a chicken in the oven. And one you will see Chef Keller using in many online videos. Its how we roasted individual chickens at Bouchon. Be sure to use a sauté pan that is oven-safe at high temperatures. And mind the handle when taking it out, or youll end up like me with multiple burn scars.
Of course, a classic roasting pan gets the job done. The key to using one is to use a rack set inside, so the hot air can circulate around the bottom, too. A rimmed sheet pan with a stainless steel rack set inside is a simpler option.
However you roast, avoid soggy chicken butts at all costs! Thats Chefs (as in Keller) favorite part of the bird, that is.
I learned two important approaches to cooking while working at Bouchon: finesse and the importance of ingredient quality. While all the Thomas Keller restaurants in Napa cook with bounty from The French Laundry garden, nothing is overly exotic.
You want to season the brined chicken with salt all over the outside and inside the cavity. Evenly, excessively, and everywhere. Pinching salt in your fingers and raining it down from a few inches above the meat is a great way to get a nice covering.
Wait, more salt?! Yes, more salt. Trust me when I say youre still eating less than you get from processed foods with loads of salt-based preservatives. Especially if you cook with a kosher or flake salt at home. Kosher salts are inexpensive and dont contain sugar. Yep. Theres sugar in table salt. Best avoided. You can get that recommended daily dose of iodine from more natural sources, like seafood.
It may seem daunting to roast an entire bird on any given busy night, but it really takes less than an hour for a three or four-pound bird.
Starting with a roasting temperature of around 475° F gives the skin a jumpstart on its way to golden brown and delicious. And of course speeds up the cooking, too. This is called oven-searing in professional kitchens. And I highly recommend it.
And whatever you do, dont cover it with foil. This will cause the moisture in the meat to steam the skin you spent days drying out. And you can kiss your crispy, tasty goodness, well, goodbye.
Ah, the age-old question of how long to cook something. You can get shot for asking this in a professional kitchen. And if they spare your life, you most likely get an answer like “when its done, just make it nice”. Not so helpful, eh? The real answer is once the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh clocks 165° F on a meat thermometer. At the high temperatures called for here, this takes about 50 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your bird.
NO! Never, ever rinse or wash a raw piece of meat. This adds moisture to the skin or outside of the cut and will prevent browning during cooking. Rinse, and youre creating one more hurdle to crispy chicken skin or wonderfully cooked steak with a nice crust. More importantly, rinsing chicken or any of its animal protein friends could potentially splash foodborne germs like salmonella, campylobacter, or e. coli all over your sink and kitchen. Just. Dont. Do it.
Theres obviously more than one pan you can use. And a few are better than others. The key is to choose a pan that allows the heat of the oven to reach as much of the chicken as possible. So baking pans with low sides, and better yet one with a rack, will let the hot air of the oven circulate all around. For my top pan picks that prevent soggy chicken bottoms, read this.
Honestly, there is truly no replacement for eating Chef Kellers roasted chicken at one of his amazing restaurants. But I find this comes pretty close. I can vouch because clients and students pay me to cook this chicken. And they love it every time.
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Thomas Keller’s Roasted Chicken | Discover MasterClass | MasterClass
FAQ
What is the process of brining chicken?
Do you rinse a chicken after brining?
What is the formula for brine?
Does chicken need to be fully submerged in brine?
How do you brine chicken?
Bring all the brine ingredients to a boil with a bit of water – just to bring out flavour a bit and dissolve the salt; Add cold water to bring the temperature down, then refrigerate until fully chilled; Submerge chicken upside down (ie drumsticks and breast facing down) and brine for 24 hours in the fridge (even 12 hours is terrific);
Is brining a recipe for Thomas Keller’s roast chicken?
And while you can find recipes galore for Thomas Keller’s roast chicken, almost all of them are missing one crucial step. Brining is any chef’s secret to flavorful, succulent, crispy-on-the-outside-juicy-on-the-inside chicken. Here’s an adapted recipe for roasting a chicken like I did at Bouchon in Yountville, California.
How do you brine chicken in a crock pot?
Adapted from a recipe by Thomas Keller, one of the great masters of the culinary world. The flesh is seasoned all the way through with a hint of the brine flavourings (herbs, lemon, garlic). Pour about 1/3 of the water into a large pot (large enough for the brine and submerged chicken) with remaining Brine ingredients.
How long do you keep chicken in brine?
Pour simmered brine mixture into a large container or brining bag, and add the remaining measure of cold water. This will help cool down the brine faster so you can add the chicken sooner. Submerge the chicken in the cooled brine, and refrigerate for 8 hours, up to overnight (about 12 hours).