| | |

Julia Child’s Favorite Roast Chicken

 Julia Child's Favorite Roast Chicken

I was in the mood for roasting a chicken so I went in search of a good recipe online. I found one at Food & Wine that looked perfect probably because it is Julia Child’s recipe and we all know she was amazing in the kitchen. I didn’t have cooking twine to tie up the drumsticks, but other than that, I cooked it as written. The chicken turned out beautiful, juicy, tender, and delicious! I served this chicken with simply baked sweet potatoes and it was a tasty meal we all enjoyed. 

Julia Child's Favorite Roast Chicken

How to Make Julia Child’s Favorite Roast Chicken

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet. Add the diced carrots, onion, and celery then cook over medium heat until softened; add the thyme sprigs.

Wash the chicken inside and out then pat dry. Pull the neck skin up over the breast and secure it to the back with a toothpick. Salt and pepper the cavity and spoon in the cooked vegetables, a handful of parsley stems, celery leaves, and lemon slices. Massage the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon of butter.

Place a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Salt the chicken all over and set it breast side up on a rack in the pan.

Place the chicken into the oven and roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, as follows:

* At 15 minutes: Brush the chicken with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Scatter the sliced onion and carrot all around. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

* At 45 minutes: Brush the lemon juice over the chicken. If necessary, add 1/2 cup of water to the vegetables to prevent burning.

* At 60 minutes: Baste the chicken with the pan juices. Test for doneness: The drumsticks should move easily in their sockets; their flesh should feel somewhat soft. If not, continue roasting, basting, and testing every 7 to 8 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°.

Let the chicken rest on a carving board for 15 minutes before slicing.

Spoon all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the juices in the pan. Add the stock and boil until slightly syrupy, 5 minutes. Strain the sauce; you will have just enough to bathe each serving with a spoonful. Serve the sliced chicken and sauce with carrots and onions on the side. Enjoy.

Julia Child's Favorite Roast Chicken

 

Julia Child's Favorite Roast Chicken

Julia Child's Favorite Roast Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 1 whole chicken

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ tbsp unsalted butter divided
  • cup carrots finely diced
  • cup onion finely diced
  • cup celery finely diced
  • 2 fresh thyme sprigs
  • One 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken
  • Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Handful of fresh parsley stems
  • Handful of celery leaves
  • Six 1/8-inch-thick lemon slices
  • ½ cup onion sliced
  • ½ cup carrots sliced
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup of water to help veggies from burning if needed
  • ¾ cup chicken broth

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet. Add the diced carrots, onion, and celery then cook over medium heat until softened; add the thyme sprigs.
  • Wash the chicken inside and out then pat dry. Pull the neck skin up over the breast and secure it to the back with a toothpick. Salt and pepper the cavity and spoon in the cooked vegetables, a handful of parsley stems, celery leaves, and lemon slices. Massage the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon of butter.
  • Place a roasting rack in a roasting pan. Salt the chicken all over and set it breast side up on a rack in the pan.
  • Place the chicken into the oven and roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, as follows:
  • * At 15 minutes:
    Brush the chicken with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Scatter the sliced onion and carrot all around. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
  • * At 45 minutes:
    Brush the lemon juice over the chicken. If necessary, add 1/2 cup of water to the vegetables to prevent burning.
  • * At 60 minutes:
    Baste the chicken with the pan juices. Test for doneness: The drumsticks should move easily in their sockets; their flesh should feel somewhat soft. If not, continue roasting, basting, and testing
    every 7 to 8 minutes
    , until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°.
  • Let the chicken rest on a carving board for 15 minutes before slicing.
  • Spoon all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the juices in the pan. Add the stock and boil until slightly syrupy, 5 minutes. Strain the sauce; you will have just enough to bathe each serving with a spoonful. Serve the sliced chicken and sauce with carrots and onions on the side. Enjoy.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Tag @4loveofcooking on instagram and hashtag it #4loveofcooking

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




15 Comments

  1. When I first came to the States I used to love watching Julia Child’s cooking shows. She was an absolute delight and will always be my favorite among all the food TV shows. I have enjoyed looking at her kitchen in the Smithsonian, which is the one she had while living in Massachusetts if I remember correctly, could be wrong about the location. Thanks for sharing another great recipe. I enjoy your blog tremendously.

  2. That is one gorgeous chicken, Pam! I love every Julia Child recipe I have ever tried, including her roasted chicken recipe. Thank you for reminding me how delicious this recipe is!