The Ultimate Roast Chicken

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Show: Tyler's UltimateEpisode: Chicken

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (127)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(127)

Cook Time:
1 hr 20 min
Level:
--
Yield:
4 to 6 servings

Times:

Prep: 40 min
Inactive Prep: 10 min
Cook: 1 hr 20 min
Total:: 2 hr 10 min

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Ingredients

1 (5 1/2 pound) free-range chicken
1/2 bunch each fresh oregano, thyme, and parsley
1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, halved
1/2 head garlic
1 medium white onion, halved, plus 1 onion
6 strips smoked bacon
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup dry sherry
Serving suggestion: roast potatoes, watercress and gravy.

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out. Pat it dry with paper towels. Divide the herbs, keeping 1/2 of them whole. Finely chop the other half. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the chopped herbs, until combined. Rub the herbed butter under the skin, as well as all over the outside of the chicken. Season the bird all over with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, garlic, 1 onion, and the remaining herbs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Put the remaining onion into the pan, which will help color and flavor the sauce. Lay the strips of bacon across the breast of the chicken and roast for 25 minutes.

Remove the bacon and baste the chicken with the drippings and cook for another 25 minutes to brown the skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.) Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.

Meanwhile, remove the softened onion from the roasting pan. Tilt the pan so the drippings collect in 1 corner, skimming off as much fat as possible, and leaving the drippings. Place the roasting pan on top of the stove over medium heat and take a wooden spoon to scrape up the flavor from the bottom of the pan. Stir the flour into the drippings to make a roux-like paste. Pour in the chicken broth in stages; continue to stir to dissolve the flour evenly to prevent lumps. Stir in the sherry and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, carve the chicken tableside and squeeze the oranges from the cavity over the meat.

Difficulty: Easy

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Comments & Reviews

recipe The Ultimate Roast Chicken
Paul Bay Point, CA 10-12-2009
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TRULY...The Ultimate Roast Chicken
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I saw the episode Tyler when Tyler did this chicken. It looked awesome and when I did it...it tasted better than awesome.... Both my wife and I come from the restaurant biz so we do know good when we eat good. I've cooked 99% of our meals in 30 years together and I no longer ask her what roast chicken I should do. I'm doing it tonite...Read more
recipe The Ultimate Roast Chicken
Molly Ferndale, MI 10-04-2009
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OMG!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Not only is this the best roast chicken ever,, the gravy is by far the best chicken gravy I've ever had!
recipe The Ultimate Roast Chicken
Benjamin Charlotte, NC 09-30-2009
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Delicious
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Great recipe. Delicious and tender -- if you cook it for the correct amount of time. My bird (5.3lbs) took 2 hrs 15 min... before it was done, the skin became dark brown and very crispy. I would recommend adding the onions to the pan about an hour into the cooking, otherwise they will burn. Also cramming a whole onion, a whole orange, the herbs and the garlic into the cavity I believe is why it took so long to cook. Maybe putting half the orange, and half of the whole onion into the pan with the other chopped onion would reduce the cooking time.Read more
recipe The Ultimate Roast Chicken
Akira Miramar, FL 09-27-2009
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Wonderful
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I made this as a Sunday Dinner. It was sooo goood. I did season it in and out and put extra herbs under the skin too. I let... it marinate in the chicken for a couple of hours before I baked it. BUt it turned out wonderful. I also put some herbs on the potatoes and carrots I baked with the chicken. I never baked a whole chicken before and my boyfriend loved it. I will definitely be making this again!Read more
recipe The Ultimate Roast Chicken
Aaron Yorba Linda, CA 08-26-2009
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sooooooo goooooooooooooooooooooood
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This had such good flavor even though i had to use dry herbs, cuz it was all we had. The cooking time was a little longer,... at least in my oven, or maybe because, when i was taking off the bacon and basting it i might've been slow. Having the butter under the skin makes such a huge difference, the breast was so juicy. The gravy was really good even though i used red wine haha. You defintiely can't go wrong with this!!Read more
recipe The Ultimate Roast Chicken
Kami St. Paul, MN 07-01-2009
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This was great!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This was my first time following one of Tyler's ultimate recipes and it was great! It was easy to make and was by FAR the... BEST roasted chicken I have ever had!Read more