FRENCHED BAKED CHICKEN

One of the biggest challenges in the home kitchen is to make something ordinary special.  Many of us struggle with the basics and end up eating out (hidden unnecessary calories, preservatives, and even rancid oils) or eating poorly (drive-through, etc).  Here’s a way to make a simple baked chicken sing without any added or unnecessary calories.  Remember: some of the most flavorful dishes are incredibly easy, and in the kitchen, ease = elegance.

I’m also going to end up with a great big vat of homemade chicken stock which I'll use in my next entry.  Let’s “French” a chicken (NOTE: this does not involve any tongue)...

To avoid cross-contamination keep the anti-bacterial detergent on hand.  Every time you touch the chicken you wash your hands.  This is always the strategy to follow whenever we touch any raw flesh (be it beef, pork, fish or fowl).  Wash-wash-wash, and then when you’re done, moisturize.  But if you inadvertently touch the raw chicken and then the wooden spoon, that wooden spoon needs to go into the dishwasher for decontamination.  Another example: you touch the chicken and then grab the pepper mill - you've just cross contaminated.  I’m trying to photograph this process (“Frenching” a chicken) so each time I touch, I wash-wash-wash, otherwise I've put e-colli or salmonella (or both) on the camera.

After you’ve rinsed and patted the chicken dry (inside and out), I use my handy dandy extra sharp kitchen shears to snip off the drumstick knuckles and the last wing joints – these burn in the oven and add nothing to our bird - but will help enrich our stock. 

Next, just like when I deal with the veggies, I like to have an even flat surface to make sure everything cooks evenly – so it is with my bird. 

Flip it over so the breast is on your baking sheet and cut out the entire backbone. 

Next flatten it out (you’ll hear the wishbone crack as it opens) skin side up. 

Your bird is now Frenched and ready for marinade.

I like to prepare two different things for the bird – a wet marinade that’s nothing more than my go-to vinaigrette sans sugar or thyme (a tad of oil, some Dijon mustard and rice vinegar with fresh ground black pepper and a bit of kosher salt) I massage all of this into the bird while the oven gets hot (350 degrees F).  To make it extra flavorful, I invert the bird skin side down and massage the marinade into the flesh and add any left over for it to soak in.  It only needs 10-15 minutes to thoroughly do its job.

Next, I make a garlic paste – 3 cloves of softened garlic, a teaspoon of kosher salt, a ¼ cup of extra green virgin olive oil and my mortar and pestle.  Set the paste aside. 

I have a sprig of fresh rosemary from my garden (any fresh herb will work here such as oregano, basil, or sage) and I take the leaves off and mince them with my mezzaluna. (A Mezza Luna [or half moon] is a typically Italian double handled blade especially good for mincing herbs.  NOTE: Don’t put it on your bridal registry and don’t buy it for someone else – it’s very bad luck because it will slice up relationships). 

Take the paste and minced herb, spread over the skin of your chicken – I use a spatula to keep the garlic off my fingers.  The bell just rang, this means the ovens hote, the bird is ready – into the oven it goes for 55 minutes.

Voila – beautifully done baked chicken. 

Tent it (10 minutes) and serve.  Juicy and flavorful with a slightly crunchy skin – even if you’re watching your weight, you can taste a little of it and enjoy.  Accompany this not-so-boring chicken with your favorite greens and veggies.

THE STOCK

Into a large stock pot I put the holy trinity: half an onion (plus the peel, don’t throw it out) just rough chop, three carrots (just rinse and rough chop), and three celery stalks (wash and rough chop). 

I also throw in the garlic skins, a fresh sprig of oregano, some discolored basil leaves, a dry laurel leaf and the chicken back, drumstick knuckles and wing tips. 

I also throw in the gizzards, dry laurel leaves and then fill with water. 

Notice: no salt added.  Cover the pot and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for 55 minutes. 

Take off the heat, and skim out everything but the liquid (or pour through a strainer into a bowl).  The remaining stock is ready to be used.  I usually ladle it into jars and refrigerate overnight. 

Any fat will float and harden (take it out and have a salt-free, fat-free stock on hand for your next extravaganza).  We’ll make use of this in my next entry.  I hope you enjoyed this little foray from my kitchen to your table.  Let me know how your baked (Frenched) chicken came out.

This half onion is being saved for our next endeavor - a savory surprise... it also involves saffron!