Chook Me!

Pan Drippings Gloriously

Summary: http www nytimes com 2009 03 11 dining 11appe html r=1 ref=dining March 11 2009 A Good Appetite Pan Drippings Gloriously By MELISSA CLARK WHEN it comes to roast chicken some people like the breast meat Others prefer the drumsticks and thighs and there are those who grab the wings Me I m a neck and tail girl but I d trade them both in for the crispy browned scraps and fatty slick clinging to the bottom of the pan which I love to mop up with a heel of bread So when my friend Susan called to crow about the phenomenal fowl her husband had roasted cooked right on top of a bed of bread to absorb all those glorious juices I paid attention But my reaction was not without some skepticism Doesn t the bread get soggy from being soaked by the chicken juices I asked Maybe it s a little soft in spots but mostly it crisps up like a crouton Susan said It s the best roast chicken I ve ever eaten You ve got to try it If it had been anyone else on the other end of the line I would have raised an eyebrow But Susan s husband Dan Silverman is a noted chef currently at the soon to open Standard hotel He knows what he s doing Still it took me a few months to try the recipe The presence of a leftover crusty loaf along with a chicken craving made it happen one　 recent Friday But first I called Dan just to make sure I had the correct technique He walked me through the steps noting that he s laid the chicken on all different kinds of breads including baguettes country loaves and even pita Stale bread is best but anything will work he said adding that his muse for this creation was indolence Originally I used the bread just to keep the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pan A rack is one　 more thing to clean and I m a lazy cook Plus we always have stale bread lying around the house Uncharacteristically I followed Dan s simple instructions to the letter drizzling the bread slices with good olive oil and seasoning them well with salt and pepper before adding the bird stuffed with garlic lemon and herbs The whole operation took under 10 minutes far less than my usual roast chicken recipe which calls for rubbing herb butter under the skin Another lazy chef bonus since Dan doesn t baste I didn t either An hour and change later the chicken was burnished juicy and fragrant with lemon and thyme The bread was golden and crunchy in some spots and moist and chewy in others but savory meaty and salty all over Although I preferred the crispy bits the soft one　s were nice too a little like the bread stuffing you might pair with poultry but with a caramelized flavor Dan had suggested making a bread salad with the toasts But in keeping with the slothful spirit of the dish I simply served them alongside the bird You see isn t that the best roast chicken ever Susan asked me Best roast chicken Perhaps But thanks to the bread I got the tastiest and most easily accessible roast chicken drippings ever For a pan swabber like me there s nothing better than that http www nytimes com 2009 03 11 dining 11appe html r=1 ref=dining March 11 2009 A Good Appetite Pan Drippings Gloriously By MELISSA CLARK WHEN it comes to roast chicken some people like the breast meat Others prefer the drumsticks and thighs and there are those who grab the wings Me I m a neck and tail girl but I d trade them both in for the crispy browned scraps and fatty slick clinging to the bottom of the pan which I love to mop up with a heel of bread So when my friend Susan called to crow about the phenomenal fowl her husband had roasted cooked right on top of a bed of bread to absorb all those glorious juices I paid attention But my reaction was not without some skepticism Doesn t the bread get soggy from being soaked by the chicken juices I asked Maybe it s a little soft in spots but mostly it crisps up like a crouton Susan said It s the best roast chicken I ve ever eaten You ve got to try it If it had been anyone else on the other end of the line I would have raised an eyebrow But Susan s husband Dan Silverman is a noted chef currently at the soon to open Standard hotel He knows what he s doing Still it took me a few months to try the recipe The presence of a leftover crusty loaf along with a chicken craving made it happen one　 recent Friday But first I called Dan just to make sure I had the correct technique He walked me through the steps noting that he s laid the chicken on all different kinds of breads including baguettes country loaves and even pita Stale bread is best but anything will work he said adding that his muse for this creation was indolence Originally I used the bread just to keep the chicken from sticking to the bottom of the pan A rack is one　 more thing to clean and I m a lazy cook Plus we always have stale bread lying around the house Uncharacteristically I followed Dan s simple instructions to the letter drizzling the bread slices with good olive oil and seasoning them well with salt and pepper before adding the bird stuffed with garlic lemon and herbs The whole operation took under 10 minutes far less than my usual roast chicken recipe which calls for rubbing herb butter under the skin Another lazy chef bonus since Dan doesn t baste I didn t either An hour and change later the chicken was burnished juicy and fragrant with lemon and thyme The bread was golden and crunchy in some spots and moist and chewy in others but savory meaty and salty all over Although I preferred the crispy bits the soft one　s were nice too a little like the bread stuffing you might pair with poultry but with a caramelized flavor Dan had suggested making a bread salad with the toasts But in keeping with the slothful spirit of the dish I simply served them alongside the bird You see isn t that the best roast chicken ever Susan asked me Best roast chicken Perhaps But thanks to the bread I got the tastiest and most easily accessible roast chicken drippings ever For a pan swabber like me there s nothing better than that

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