by Oui, Chef
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Oui, Chef's Notes:
Expand1 (4-7 pound) roasting chicken (organically raised, free-range, and air chilled if you can) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 bunch fresh thyme Ask a question about this ingredient
1 lemon, quartered Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons softened butter Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons z'atar Ask a question about this ingredient
kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste Ask a question about this ingredient
Preheat the oven to 400 ℉. Remove the chicken giblets and rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and pat the outside dry with paper towels. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken and stuff the cavity with the thyme and lemon.
Ask a question about this stepTruss the chicken by tying the legs together with kitchen string, and wrapping the wing tips tight to the body of the chicken. Rub the outside of the chicken with the softened butter and sprinkle again with salt, pepper and z'atar.
Ask a question about this stepPlace the chicken on a rimmed, heavy sheet tray, or in a roasting pan, and place it in the oven. Calculate the cooking time by figuring 15 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes regardless of the size of the bird. For example, a 5.25 pound chicken would take (5.25 x 15) = 79 minutes + 15 minutes = 94 minutes total cooking time. You may want to rotate the bird once during cooking to compensate for uneven temperature in your oven, but beside that, there is no flipping, rolling, basting etc. Just leave the little darling alone. When the time is up, remove it from the oven , place it on a cutting board, tent it with foil, and let it rest 10-15 minutes before carving.
Ask a question about this stepWhich blend of z'atar do you recommend for this? Thanks!! ;o)
I currently use a Jordanian mix brought to me from Jordan by my brother-in-law who works for the World Bank (lucky me). I have also used Kalustyan's Lebanese, and Jordanian blends and love them both, either would work beautifully on roast chicken. You can find them here: http://www.kalustyans.com/catalog.asp?menucategory_id=64&category_id=219&currpage=18
Lovely! I have got to get to Kalustyans...I walked by last week when I was in the city, but it was late and it was closed.
Ah, a man after my own (lazy) heart. Being from New Orleans, I've used Cavender's Greek seasoning in the same way you use z'atar. All good.
Thanks, mrslarkin. Z'atar is a Middle eastern herb mix usually consisting of ground dried thyme, sumac, oregano, marjoram, or some combination thereof, mixed with toasted sesame seeds, and salt, though other spices might also be added. At Kalustyans in NYC (thanks, Merrill) you can find many versions of Z'atar, such as Jordanian, Lebanese, and Syrian. They are all great!
Miranda is an editor at Food52.
I take it by your intro that you've tried Judy Rogers Zuni Cafe version. I love that recipe but it does take some fore thought (dry brining for 3 days). I do want to give yours a try, as Judy insists on a very small bird which I find darn near impossible to find.