Jacques PÉpins Quick Roasted Chicken Food

QUICK-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH MUSTARD AND GARLIC, JACQUES STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Rinse chicken beneath cold running water and blot dry. Using poultry shears, cut along each side of the backbone and remove it. (Save backbone with the giblets for making stock.) Jacques suggests cutting partway through both sides of the joint between the thighs and the drumsticks and also cutting the joint between the wings and the breast.
• Mix the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Turn the chicken breast side down and slather it with half of the mixture. Place chicken in a large oven-safe skillet, skin side up and slather with the remaining mixture.
• Set the skillet over high heat and cook the chicken until it starts to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and, according to Jacques, continue roasting another 30 minutes. Roast until brown and internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, which took my bird 50 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.
• This can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight.

JACQUES PEPIN'S BASIC ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle the chicken inside and out with the salt and pepper and fold the wings akimbo to position them closer to the body. Place the chicken on its side in an oven-safe skillet, preferably cast-iron.
• Place the chicken in the skillet in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, then turn the chicken over and cook another 20 minutes. (By cooking the chicken on its sides, the juices stay in the breast and, since only the back is exposed, the chicken does not need constant basting.) Finally, turn the chicken onto its back, baste it with the cooking juices and continue to cook 10 minutes. It should be golden in color.
• When the chicken is cooked, cut it into pieces and serve, with the drippings on the side.

CHICKEN LIVER PATE A LA JACQUES PEPIN

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken livers, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
• Add the water and bring to a simmer; cover, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the livers are barely pink inside, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
• Discard the bay leaf.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the livers, onion and garlic to a food processor; process until coarsely pureed.
• With the machine on, add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until incorporated.
• Add the Cognac, season with salt and pepper and process until completely smooth.
• Scrape the pâté into 2 or 3 large ramekins; press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pâté and refrigerate until firm.
• Serve chilled.
• Enjoy!

JACQUES PEPIN'S CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 175F.
• Cut extra skin and fat off each thigh. Cut a 1/2 " slit into meat on either side of the bone, so that chicken will cook faster and evenly.
• Season thighs with 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of pepper.
• Place chicken into non-stick skillet, skin side down, on high heat.
• When chicken starts to sizzle, cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 16-18 minutes. If browning too quickly after 10 minutes, reduce heat to low.
• Transfer chicken, skin side up, to a heat proof platter and place in oven to keep warm. Pepin recommends keeping your serving plates in the oven so that they will be warm when you plate the chicken.
• Remove all but 2 tbsp of fat from the skillet. Add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and white wine. If any liquid has accumulated on the platter in the oven, add that liquid to the pan.
• Cook over high heat for 1 minute, to reduce the liquid a bit.
• Divide the mushroom mixture between 4 plates. Place one piece of chicken on top and garnish with chives to serve.

MY FAVORITE SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450°F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.
• Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.
• Now, salt the chicken-I like to rain the salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.
• Place the chicken in a sauté pan or roasting pan and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone-I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish, but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove it from the oven and add the thyme, if using, to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.
• Remove the twine. Separate the middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip-until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good.