Garlic-Rosemary Roast Chicken with Jus

Wow.  Just, wow.  This has been a recipe that I've been wanting to make for literally years.  I first had the absolutely amazing garlic-rosemary chicken when my ex Wendell served it for us one night for dinner.  I loved it so much that I asked for the recipe (I was just starting to learn to cook at this time, thanks to Wendell [he was the one who introduced me to Mark Bittman]).  Anyways, he sent me something that approximated the recipe, but I wanted the real thing which was from America's Test Kitchen (ATK for short).  So, long story short, years later I finally ended up joining America's Test Kitchen online and downloaded the recipe.  Did I make it then?  Nope.  I just saved it on my computer until, finally, now I have made it.*

*As a quick tangent, part of the reason that it took me so long is that I almost never cook meat just on its own.  I will cook meat as part of another recipe, but anytime we cook meat on its own, Scott usually does the cooking (think Thanksgiving dinner).  The one (only one) time I tried to roast a chicken before with my friend Andrew it turned out kind of disastrous (it took way too long and kept coming up undercooked).  So I was a bit nervous...

Garlic-Rosemary Roast Chicken with Jus

Our meal tonight: chicken, mashed potatoes and romanesco

Garlic-Rosemary Roast Chicken with Jus from Cooks Illustrated

Note: If the roasting pan is considerably larger than the chicken, keep an eye on the pan drippings; the greater surface area may mean more rapid evaporation and a risk of burnt drippings. Add water to the pan as necessary if the liquid evaporates. 

Serves 3 to 6

Ingredients: 

Chicken and Brine
1/2 cup table salt 
10 cloves of garlic unpeeled
3 sprigs fresh rosemary 
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), giblets discarded

Garlic-Rosemary Paste
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary 
2 medium cloves of garlic minced or pressed through garlic press (2 teaspoons)
1/8 teaspoon table salt 
ground black pepper 
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus extra for brushing chicken

Jus
10 cloves of medium-large garlic unpeeled
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil 
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth 
1/2 cup water 
1/4 cup dry white wine or vermouth
1 sprig fresh rosemary 
table salt 
ground black pepper 

Instructions:

1. FOR THE CHICKEN AND BRINE: Combine salt, garlic, and rosemary in zipper-lock bag; seal, pressing out air. Pound with meat pounder or rolling pin until garlic cloves are crushed. Transfer mixture to large container or stockpot and stir in 2 cups hot tap water; let stand 10 minutes to release flavors. Add 1 1/2 quarts cold tap water and stir until salt is dissolved. Submerge chicken in brine and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Set V-rack in small roasting pan and lightly spray rack with nonstick cooking spray.

3. FOR THE PASTE: Stir together rosemary, garlic, salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil in small bowl. Rub about 1 1/2 teaspoons of paste in cavity of chicken. Carefully loosen skin over breast and thigh on each side; slip half of remaining paste under skin on each side of breast, then, using fingers, distribute paste over breast and thigh by rubbing surface of skin (see illustrations 1 through 3, page 11). Tie ends of drumsticks together with kitchen twine and tuck wings behind back. Rub all sides of chicken with 2 teaspoons oil and season with pepper. Set chicken breast-side down on prepared V-rack and roast 15 minutes.

4. FOR THE JUS: While chicken is roasting, toss garlic cloves with 1/2 teaspoon oil; after chicken has roasted 15 minutes, scatter cloves in pan and continue to roast 15 minutes longer.

5. Remove roasting pan from oven; decrease oven temperature to 375 degrees. Using tongs or wads of paper towels, rotate chicken breast-side up; brush breast with 1 teaspoon oil. Add 1 cup broth and 1/2 cup water to pan and continue to roast until chicken is medium golden brown and instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast and thigh registers about 160 and 175 degrees, respectively, adding more water to roasting pan if liquid evaporates. Tip V-rack to allow juices in cavity to run into roasting pan. Transfer chicken to large plate.

6. Remove garlic cloves to cutting board. Using wooden spoon, scrape up browned bits in roasting pan and pour liquid into 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Allow liquid to settle; meanwhile, peel garlic and mash to paste with fork. Using soup spoon, skim fat off surface of liquid (you should have about 5/3 cup skimmed liquid; if not, supplement with water). Transfer liquid to small saucepan, then add wine, rosemary sprig, remaining ¾ cup broth, and garlic paste; simmer over medium-high heat, until reduced to about 1 cup, about 8 minutes. Add accumulated juices from chicken and discard rosemary sprig; adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste. Carve chicken and serve with jus. 

     So, how did it come out?  Well, the good news is that this recipe is as amazing as I remember it.  The jus is amazing and definitely worth the extra step to make it.  Brining the chicken made sure that every part came out moist* And the paste just made everything taste rosemary garlicky.  So amazing!  If you like rosemary, garlic and chicken, I definitely recommend this recipe.  It is not too garlicky or rosemary-tasting but has an amazing flavor all of its own.  I, of course, used my trusty cast iron skillet rather than a roasting pan with v-rack (which I don't have) and didn't even bother with the trussing (although I did hook the wings up behind the back).  I really think the cast iron made a difference as the chicken came out nice and browned (as compared to yesterday when we baked chicken drumsticks and it took forever to cook).  I then made the jus right in the cast iron; no need to transfer everything over to a smaller pot.  Anyways, make it!  You won't be sorry! Don't wait years like I did.  Enjoy!

*As a quick aside, I skipped the first part about putting it in a bag and pounding the garlic.  It just seemed like a ridiculous extra step to me.  I just used my garlic press and minced the garlic and put it all in a stock pot and went from there.