Roast Chicken With Bread Salad Cooks Illustrated Food

ROAST CHICKEN WITH BREAD AND ARUGULA SALAD

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a baking dish. Using your fingers, gently loosen the skin from the breasts and thighs without breaking the skin. Carefully slide the sprigs of thyme and the garlic under the skin. Put the lemon in the cavity. Tie the legs together and tuck the wings under the body. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of sea salt and the pepper, cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. (Be sure your oven is very clean!) Place the bread in a medium (10-inch) cast-iron skillet in a single layer. Brush the chicken with olive oil and place it, breast side up, on top of the bread. Roast for 30 minutes, turn it over and roast for 15 minutes, until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Wrap the skillet tightly with aluminum foil and allow the chicken to rest at room temperature for a full 30 minutes. (Don¿t worry; it will stay hot.) The bread will be almost burnt on the bottom and soft with the pan drippings on top.
• Place the Arugula Salad in a very large, shallow serving platter. Put the chicken and the bread on a cutting board. Cut the bread into 1-inch squares and sprinkle them on the salad. Carve the chicken thickly (see note) and place it on top of the salad. Spoon the pan juices over the chicken, sprinkle it with sea salt, and serve warm.
• Whisk the vinegar, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisk in the olive oil, stir in the scallions and currants, and set aside.
• Place the arugula in a large bowl, add the vinaigrette, and toss well.

WARM ROAST CHICKEN BREAST AND BREAD SALAD WITH ARUGULA

Steps:

• Place oven rack at lowest level and preheat oven to 450.
• Toss bread cubes with 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Place bread in 8 inch baking dish and set aside.
• Dry chicken with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until hot. Place chicken in skillet, skin side down, and saute until skin is deep golden color, about 5 minutes.
• Place chicken, skin side up, on bread cubes in baking dish and bake until the thickest part of the breast is 160-165 degrees and the bread is spotty brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Take care, don't overcook the breasts!
• Transfer chicken to cutting board. When chicken is cool enough, take meat off bones and cut into pieces similar in size to bread cubes. Throw away the bones.
• While chicken is baking, pour off fat in skillet, add the last tablespoon of oil, the garlic and thyme, and cook for a moment until the garlic is fragrant. Add broth and scrape up any brown bits from skillet. Cook until thickened slightly, stir in vinegar, cover, and take off the heat.
• Toss bread cubes in a bowl with most of dressing mixture in skillet - reserve 2 tablespoons - add chicken and any juices from it. Then add arugula, tomato, pine nuts and the remaining dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste - remember, the cheese will add some salty taste. Toss a final time. Garnish with Parmesan shavings and serve.
• (To gild the lilly a bit, you can add what Lydia Bastianich calls a final "blessing" of extra virgin olive oil. Or, put that on the table. Some will find it fine without.).
• Enjoy!

BUTTERMILK-BRINED CHICKEN WITH CRESS AND BREAD SALAD

Steps:

• Thinly slice 1 lemon. Whisk buttermilk, garlic, and 2 tablespoons salt in a medium bowl. Divide buttermilk mixture and lemon slices between 2 large resealable plastic bags. Place 1 chicken in each bag and seal, pressing out any excess air. Refrigerate, turning occasionally, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Remove chickens from marinade, rinse with cold water, and pat dry. Thinly slice half of a lemon; cut remaining whole lemon in half. Place chickens on a wire rack set inside a large rimmed baking sheet; stuff each with 1/2 bunch of marjoram and a lemon half. Working from neck end of chicken, gently loosen skin from chicken breasts. Place several lemon slices under skin of each breast. Rub chickens with butter; season with salt and pepper. Tie legs with kitchen twine and tuck wing tips under chicken.
• Roast chickens until they begin to brown, 30-35 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and roast until chickens are cooked through and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F, 20-25 minutes longer. Transfer chickens to a platter, tent with foil, and let rest while preparing bread salad. Keep oven on.
• Carefully pour chicken roasting juices from baking sheet into a large bowl (set baking sheet aside). Whisk shallot, oil, and vinegar into juices in bowl; season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
• Pour half of vinaigrette into a small bowl; set aside. Add bread to vinaigrette in large bowl and toss, pressing gently to help bread absorb vinaigrette.
• Transfer bread to reserved baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until bread is golden brown but still soft in the center, 10-15 minutes (set bowl aside).
• Place warm bread in reserved bowl. Add watercress and reserved vinaigrette; season with salt and pepper and toss to combine. Arrange salad on a platter and place chickens on top.

OVEN ROASTED CHICKEN WITH BREAD SALAD

Steps:

• Oven Roasted Chicken:
• Dissolve the salt in cold water and place rinsed chickens in water. Let chicken brine in salt water for 6 to 8 hours in refrigerator. Remove, rinse & dry. Season with pepper, rub with olive oil & stuff under the skin with fresh sage leaves. Roast in wood burning oven 450-500 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Bread Salad:
• Toast bread lightly. Make vinaigrette - in large bowl mix vinegar, chicken stock, garlic & chives. Whisk in olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Toss with toasted bread, currants & pine nuts. Cover with foil & bake in 400 degree oven until lightly brown about 20 minutes. To serve toss warm bread salad with arugula , chives or spring onions and serve with chicken.
• Chicken Jus:
• Heat stock in sauce pan and slowly swirl in butter until incorporated over very low heat. Season & serve over chicken and bread salad.