This chicken really blew me away. The meat is so tender and juicy that it puts every other roast chicken I’ve had to shame. It was so tender that a reheated piece of chicken breast was still moist and succulent. When I tried to carve it, a thigh bone came off  in my hand. It was so flavorful that Arthur spent the entire day standing guard in the kitchen, begging for scraps every time someone walked by. Thomas Keller knows his bistro food.

Brine adapted from Bouchon

1 gallon water
1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup honey
6 bay leaves
1/2 cup garlic cloves, smashed
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
3 large rosemary sprigs
1 large thyme sprig
1 large bunch parsley
zest and juice of 2 lemons

Combine all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, and stir to dissolve the salt and honey. Let cool completely before adding chicken. Can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.

Roast Chicken also adapted from Bouchon

The recipe calls for 2 birds, about 2.5 lbs each. I used a single bird that was just under 6 lbs.

Rinse the chicken under cold water and place in the brine. Refrigerate for 6 hours. My chicken was refrigerated overnight for 8 hours and it was just a smidge on the salty side.

Preheat oven to 475ºF. Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse with cold water. Pat dry and lightly season the inside with salt and pepper. If you have twine and know how to truss a chicken, now is the time to do it. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes and then place on the roasting rack and into the oven. Check the bird every 15 minutes or so and rotate if necessary to ensure even browning. Roast until the internal temperature comes to 155ºF, should be about 40 minutes for 2 small birds and was about 55 minutes for my large bird.

When the bird is done, remove from the oven and baste with the pan juices. Let sit in a warm place for 10 minutes before carving, the chicken will continue to cook as it sits.