Roast Chicken

Recipe courtesy Julia Child, Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom, Alfred A. Knopf, 2000

Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: Tribute to Julia Child

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (12)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(12)

Cook Time:
1 hr 10 min
Level:
--
Yield:
4 servings

Times:

Prep: 15 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 1 hr 10 min
Total:: 1 hr 25 min

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Ingredients

1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) chicken
1 small yellow onion, quartered
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1/2 cup celery leaves
Salt and black pepper
Butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups chicken broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Wash the chicken in hot water and dry thoroughly. Season the cavity with salt and black pepper and stuff with the onion, lemon, and celery leaves. Rub the chicken lightly with softened butter and season all over with salt and pepper. Tie the drumsticks ends together and set the chicken, breast side up, in an oiled v-shaped rack or on an oiled roasting pan in the oven.

Roast for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees, baste the chicken, and roast for 15 minutes. Add the chopped onion and carrot to the pan, basting them and the chicken. Continue roasting the chicken until the juices run clear, for a total of 45 minutes plus an additional 7 minutes for each pound. (In other words, a 3 1/2 pound chicken would take a basic 45 minutes plus an additional 25 minutes, for a total 70 minutes or 1 hour and 10 minutes of cooking time.)

Remove the chicken and spoon the fat out of the roasting pan. Into the pan, stir in the herbs and blend in the broth and, stirring constantly, boil for several minutes on the stovetop to concentrate the flavor. Correct the seasoning and strain the sauce into a warm sauceboat. Carve the chicken and serve with the warm sauce.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Roast Chicken
Diane St. George, UT 04-13-2009
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Best Ever
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is the best ever recipe for roasting chicken. I roasted an Organic Chicken using Julia's method. I had to make some... changes. I didn't have celery leaves so I used Italian parsley and added fresh thyme. My lemon was a Meyer lemon. I didn't have softened butter to baste so I used Olive Oil. It was so moist. My brother in law had two entire legs (thigh and leg). He apologized taking the second leg but said he could not help himself because it was sooo good. I served it with Tyler Florence's Green Bean and Bacon Salad, stuffing, organic sweet potatoes (really good and sweet) and apple struedal with vanilla soy ice cream. The recipe is a "KEEPER". PS - I did have an v-shaped rack and used it. From what I read, a v-shaped rack distributes the heat evenly.Read more
recipe Roast Chicken
kate aliso viejo, CA 04-06-2009
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you can't mess this up!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

The chicken was awesome - extremely tasty and very juicy. My husband and 2-year-old ate it right up. For some reason my... chicken held most of it's juices so the onions and carrots un the bottom burned and I didn't get to use the drippings. But I made a simple gravy while the chicken was cooking that worked just fine for the mashed potatoes I served it with, but the chicken really didn't even need it!Read more
recipe Roast Chicken
jessica los angeles, CA 10-27-2008
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Simple really is better!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I tried this recipe last night and substituted crush garlic cloves for the onion since I didn't have one. I also added small... red potatoes during the last hour of cooking instead of carrot and onion, and basted every 25 minutes. My boyfriend and friends loved it! I will definitely be making this again. Read more
recipe Roast Chicken
Rhonda Kankakee, IL 10-12-2008
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Perfect!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is a wonderful recipe for roast chicken. It is very close to Julia's original recipe from her French Cooking cookbook... from the 1960s, other than she doesn't add a lemon. I did baste the chicken (with butter/chicken broth) every 15 minutes and after 45 minutes I fliiped the chicken over to brown the back. The chicken was extremely moist and had great flavor. I believe adding the carrots and onion to the pan juices was perfect for the sauce. However, I did take the sauce one step further, added flour to thicken and chicken demi-glaze to create a delicious gravy. Served the chicken with Giada's Roasted Potatoes, Parsnips and Brussel Sprouts. PERFECT!Read more
recipe Roast Chicken
MELISSA Palo Alto, CA 06-17-2008
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Perfect roast chicken!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This is such a wonderful recipe. I used an organic chicken and flipped it over at the end of the cooking process to crisp up... the skin on the back. My kids couldn't get enough of it. It was juicy and just what you want for the effort of roasting a chicken yourself.Read more
recipe Roast Chicken
Kimberly Chandler, AZ 04-06-2007
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came out awesome!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

My chicken came out wonderful! Soooo juicy! I just used less onions and celery salt instead of leaves and it still came out... great! I don't see how to mess it up!Read more