WASHINGTON — Roasted chicken is a delicious meal the whole family can enjoy but it can be intimidating for the home chef.
But it doesn't have to be!
Chef Colin McClimans, the head chef at Nina May , a New American restaurant in the Shaw neighborhood of DC shows us how roasting a whole chicken can be easier than you think.
Nina May presents a hyper seasonal menu that changes all of the time and everything is sourced within 150 miles of the restaurant. The team recently opened Opal, a Coastal American Restaurant, located in Chevy Chase DC.
Lemon and Thyme Roasted Chicken
1 3½-pound chicken (local, if possible)
1 gallon water
2 bay leaves
2 sage leaves
1 bunch thyme
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
½ cup salt
¼ cup sugar
3 shallots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 lemons
1 stick of butter
2 lemons
2 pounds Yukon potatoes
1 tbsp chili flakes
1 tbsp garlic confit
Zest 2 lemons
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups raw spinach sautéed
1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
Two days before you cook the chicken, make the brine. Combine the water, bay leaves, sage, 3 sprigs of thyme, peppercorns, ½ cup salt, sugar, shallots, garlic, and the juice of 1 lemon in a large pot. Set over low heat and stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and cool completely. Place chicken in a large container or plastic bag and submerge in brine; the chicken should be completely covered. Refrigerate overnight.
Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Discard the brine. Slice 1 lemon in half. Stuff ½ lemon, then the bunch of thyme, then the other ½ lemon into the cavity of the chicken. Using your fingers, separate the chicken’s skin from the breast meat. Spread ¼ stick butter under the skin of each breast. Truss the chicken with butcher’s twine. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours.
Set the oven to 375 degrees. Spread the potatoes on a sheet tray, season with salt, pepper, and a little oil, and place the chicken on top. Roast about 1 hour depending how big your chicken is. Remove from the oven and let rest for 20 minutes.
Place the potatoes in a mixer and paddle adding the garlic confit, herbs, lemon zest, and chili flakes. slowly add the extra-virgin olive oil to make a mashed potato. Add the potatoes to the plate and add your spinach that you sautéed. Cut the chicken into pieces. Pour any drippings from the pan or cavity into a pot and add the stock. Bring to a boil and, whisking constantly, add 1/2 stick cold butter. Add the parsley. Pour the jus over the chicken and serve.
