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Roast Chicken with Bread Salad (Judy Rodgers Style)

Roast Chicken with Bread Salad is simple and divine. Roast chicken over artisan bread cubes that become crispy while baking and then tossed with salad makes this one dish meal fabulous!
 This crispy roast chicken with bead salad is simple and divine. Roasted over artisan bread cubes that become crispy while baking and then tossed with salad, this one dish meal is fabulous!
 I first wrote about this chicken in 2011. It was one of the first posts I did and frankly, I can’t believe I’ve been writing that long. But that’s beside the point…The point is I love this chicken and I remember when I posted the recipe a friend said to me that it really took her a long time and though she loved the chicken she felt it was a lot of work. Well no more my friends! I had planned on redoing this chicken with new photos because I love it so much when lo and behold Cook’s Illustrated just came out with a brand new version. This version is no less delicious than the original but takes so much less time and we all know time is one thing we never seem to have enough of.
 This crispy roast chicken with bread salad is simple and divine. Roasted over artisan bread cubes that become crispy while baking and then tossed with salad, this one dish meal is fabulous!

Well…this chicken…Of course I was too hungry and didn’t even think to take photos of this lovely bird resting in the cast iron skillet surrounded by lovely crunchy golden cubes of bread drenched in the golden broth of this beautiful bird. Combining those with the arugula dressed with a tangy vinegar mustard vinaigrette is pure heaven. And did I mention how the sweetness of the currants plays off with the saltiness of the chicken? This chicken is glorious and I don’t say those words lightly. It has always been a favorite and now with this super simplified method I do believe this might become a regular in my kitchen!

I do want to mention that to get the most out of this chicken it does require planning ahead. But then again all great dates require planning and this bird is one great date! It really is pretty simple and involves something so easily done as spatchcocking a chicken. In other words, one must cut the backbone out of the chicken which is easily done if you own a great pair of kitchen shears. Which you should. They are one of my favorite tools! After that it is a matter of salting this baby and resting her on a rack in the fridge overnight.This technique not only flavors this girl perfectly, it also allows the skin to air dry which makes for a super crisp chicken when she emerges from the oven.

This is a perfect weekend dish. And with any luck you may even have enough for a second date! Oh…the possibilities!

 This crispy roast chicken with bread salad is simple and divine. Roasted over artisan bread cubes that become crispy while baking and then tossed with salad, this one dish meal is fabulous!
These other chicken dishes sound pretty good too! Check out this lemon sheet pan chicken from Erin at Well Plated.  And this chicken with bacon herb butter from Lori at Recipe Girl.
And then because one can never have too much chicken:
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ChickenwithZa27atarandLemons6
 
Honey Glazed Chicken with Lemon and Olives is filled with flavor and perfect for a family meal. Glazed with a bit of honey and the zest of lemon this is on regular rotation at our house. www.thisishowicook.com #chicken #recipes

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 This crispy roast chicken with bread salad is simple and divine. Roasted over artisan bread cubes that become crispy while baking and then tossed with salad, this one dish meal is fabulous! #chicken #roastchicken #breadsalad #recipes www.thisishowicook

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Roast Chicken with Bread salad

Roast Chicken with Bread Salad (Judy Rodgers Style)

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  • Author: Abbe Odenwalder
  • Prep Time: 40 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 Minutes
  • Total Time: 90 Minutes
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Roast Chicken with Bread Salad is simple and divine. Roast chicken over artisan bread cubes that become crispy while baking and then tossed with salad makes this one dish meal fabulous!


Ingredients

Scale


1 4 lb whole chicken

Morton Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

8 ounces country style artisan bread, bottom crust removed, cut into 1″ pieces (You should have about 5 cups)

1/4 c chicken broth

6 T plus 2 t extra virgin olive oil

2 T champagne vinegar

1 t Dijon mustard

4 scallions, sliced thin

2 T dried currants

5 c baby arugula or baby lettuce



Instructions

Place chicken, breast side down on cutting board. Cut out the backbone of the chicken. Discard. Flip chicken over and press on breastbone to flatten.

Using your fingers, carefully loosen skin covering breasts and legs. Rub 1/2 t salt under skin of each breast and 1/2 t salt under skin of each leg. Rub 1/2 t of salt into the cavity of the bird. Tuck wings behind back and turn legs so drumsticks face toward breasts. Place chicken on wire rack which has been placed on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475. Spray a 12″ cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Toss bread with broth and 2 T oil until pieces are evenly moist. Arrange bread in skillet in single layer, with majority of crusted pieces near center, crust side up.

Place chicken, skin side up, on top of bread. Brush with 2 t of oil and sprinkle with 1/4 t salt and 1/4 t pepper. Roast until chicken skin is deep golden brown. This should take about 45-50 minutes and you should rotate the skillet halfway through roasting. If your chicken is larger, please use a meat thermometer to check for doneness. The thickest part of the breast should register 160 and the thighs at 175.

While chicken roasts, whisk vinegar, mustard, 1/4 t salt and 1/4 t pepper together in a small mixing cup. Whisk in remaining 1/4 c olive oil. Stir in scallions and currants and set aside.

Transfer chicken to carving board and let rest uncovered for 15 minutes. Run a metal spatula under bread in skillet. You should have a nice mixture of soft and golden brown crispy pieces. Add salad to the skillet. Carve chicken and whisk any juices into the vinaigrette. Add vinaigrette to salad and toss to evenly coat salad and bread. Transfer salad to platter and serve with chicken.


Notes

Prep Time Does Not Include the 24 hour resting time in the refrigerator.

Thanks Judy Rodgers and Cooks Illustrated.

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Balvinder

Tuesday 11th of December 2018

I have so many recipes on my blog that I want to repost as their pictures cringe. This is indeed a lovely weekend chicken dish.

Abbe Odenwalder

Wednesday 12th of December 2018

I love this chicken dish! My guess is you will too! Still don't like my pics but they are way better than they used to be!

SavoringTime in the Kitchen

Wednesday 18th of April 2018

Wow, this does look fantastic and I do love roasted chicken! Look forward to trying this recipe/method soon, Abbe.

Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen

Tuesday 17th of April 2018

Crunchy golden cubes of bread--that's going to stick with me until I try this recipe! You're speaking my language here :). This is one beautiful dish!

Marcelle

Monday 16th of April 2018

This is a terrific meal!! Great photos in this post too, Abbe!

mjskit

Monday 16th of April 2018

You cook the bread with the chicken? Now that is really interesting and quite inspiring. The chicken looks delicious as all of yours chicken dishes to, but I bet the bread is the highlight of the dish. But then, I am a bread lover. :) Fabulous dish!