Zuni Café Chicken
- Total Time
- 60 to 90 minutes, plus 1 to 2 days for dry brining
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:2 or more servings
- One small chicken, 2¾ to 3½ pounds
- 4sprigs fresh thyme, marjoram, rosemary or sage
- Sea salt
- ¼teaspoon ground black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
1043 calories; 73 grams fat; 21 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 30 grams monounsaturated fat; 16 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 90 grams protein; 1663 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Season the chicken 1 to 3 days before serving (for 3¼- to 3½-pound chickens, at least 2 days): Remove and discard the lump of fat inside the chicken. Pat the chicken very dry (a wet chicken will spend too much time steaming before it begins to turn golden brown).
- Step 2
Slide a finger under the skin of each of the breasts, making 2 little pockets, then use a fingertip to gently loosen a pocket of skin on the outside of the thickest section of each thigh. Push an herb sprig into each of the 4 pockets.
- Step 3
Using about ¾ teaspoon sea salt per pound of chicken and pepper to taste, season the chicken liberally all over with salt and the pepper. Sprinkle a little of the salt just inside the cavity and on the backbone. Twist and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders. Cover loosely and refrigerate.
- Step 4
When you’re ready to cook the chicken, heat the oven to 475 degrees. Depending on your oven and the size of your bird, you may need to adjust the heat to as high as 500 degrees or as low as 450 degrees during roasting to brown the chicken properly.
- Step 5
Choose a shallow flameproof roasting pan or dish barely larger than the chicken, or use a 10-inch skillet with an all-metal handle. Preheat the pan over medium heat. Wipe the chicken dry and set it breast side up in the pan. It should sizzle.
- Step 6
Place in the center of the oven and watch for it to start sizzling and browning within 20 minutes. If it doesn’t, raise the temperature progressively until it does. The skin should blister, but if the chicken begins to char, or the fat is smoking, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees. After about 30 minutes, turn the bird over (drying the bird and preheating the pan should keep the skin from sticking). Roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size, then flip back over to re-crisp the breast skin, another 5 to 10 minutes. Total oven time will be 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Step 7
Remove the chicken from the roasting pan and set on a plate. Pour the clear fat from the pan, leaving the drippings. Add about a tablespoon of water to the hot pan and swirl. Slash the stretched skin between the thighs and breasts of the chicken, then tilt the bird and plate over the roasting pan to drain the juice into the drippings. As the chicken rests, tilt the roasting pan and skim the last of the fat. Place over medium-low heat, add any juice that has collected under the chicken, and bring to a simmer. Stir and scrape.
- Step 8
Cut the chicken into pieces and pour the pan drippings over the chicken.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Mark
How did you flip the bird (no pun intended) without burning the bejesus out of yourself?
Romolo
30 minutes 475 convection breast side up
20 minutes 475 regular breast side down
10 minutes 475 regular breast side up
mdurphy
I only found Rodger's cookbook after her death, and it was almost painful to read because she is so present in its pages. I went to Zuni several times and always thought it was good, not great (a similar style of cuisine at Chez Panisse produces great results). But the cookbook is such a wonderful read, a narrative of personal insights and observations of her (short) lifetime in food. The recipes are appealing and solid; full of the careful details that make a difference. I'm glad I have it.
Figaro
Great way to prepare chicken. I used four plump thighs weighing 2 lbs and let them sit in the fridge 2 days. We loved the crisp skin, juicy meat and simple flavors. I used a bit of dry Vermouth and chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Since there was a terrific amount of fat rendered, before the final browning turn, I poured it into my schmaltz jar. (I render my own chicken fat - have for many years).
Anna
Three important notes: 1. It's DEELISH - one of the best chickens you can make at home. 2. It's labor intensive - usually, for me, roast chicken is just, stick a lemon in it and throw it in the oven. This isn't that. You gotta work. 3. You CAN use dried herbs. It's great that way. So don't worry if you don't have fresh.
laura
I only had about 10 hours to let mine hang out in the fridge to dry, sooo I used a hair dryer on it for a few minutes before putting it in the oven. The result was perfect crispy skin.
Sally McKee
I agree that this needs careful annotation. People should just buy the Zuni Café Cookbook and learn. This is a tricky recipe. You'll only be able to pull this off succesfully if you know your oven really, really well.
Romolo
This has been our roast chicken recipe for years. And it produces a juicy flavorful chicken every time. I do 30, 20, 10 minutes for most chickens at 475 with convection for 30 minutes. I add a little olive oil to pan to insure that it does stick. We have tried many other roast chicken recipes and none were as good or more important, as consistent as this recipe.
David Waterbury
Pollo a la Brasa
1/2 bottle (12 ozs.) Goya Brand Mojo marinade
8 oz. Dark or Amber Beer
1/4 C soy sauce
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cumin
1 packet Sazon con culantro y achiote
1 whole chicken
Place all the ingredients except the chicken in a large bowl and mix well place chicken in a large Ziploc bag. Pour the marinade in and close. Refrigerate for 12-24 hrs.
Place on a spit. Truss and rotisserie cook @ 325F until done about 90 minutes.
Cut up and serve with Aji Sauce
Jane Rice
Mark, for turning the chicken (and for a lot of things -- like fishing corn on the cob out of boiling water -- the best things ever are silicon oven mitts. They can handle almost anything while protecting your hands and forearms.
Dan
My wife said to me, "That chicken was delicious. If you make it again, I'll kill you!" The flying grease spatter in that hot oven was kind of a disaster. The chicken was wonderful, though, as was the bread salad. I may have to risk cooking it again.
David
you don't need to preheat the skillet or pan on the stove top - use the hot oven to preheat it.
Felicia R
The dry brining is what makes this recipe and has become my standard chicken hack. I address the oven temp and chicken size issues by spatchcocking a 3.5-5 lb chicken and roasting for about 45 minutes at 450-475. I've done many variations on under-skin seasoning -- lemon zest & garlic plus herbs is fab.
Michael
I had her chicken at Zuni several years ago. It was good but nowhere near as good (and a lot more expensive) as the Peruvian rotisserie chickens that I used to get at a couple of fast food places in Northern Virginia. Now that is a something I'd love to see a recipe for.
Doug Johnston
I think it would be helpful to footnote the recipe and explain the factors that determine the direction the thermostat should be set at, when the recipe directs:
"Depending on your oven and the size of your bird, you may need to adjust the heat to as high as 500 degrees or as low as 450 degrees during roasting to brown the chicken properly."
Marcia Silverstein
The only adjustment to this great recipe is that I salt the chicken and put in the fridge for three days uncovered It dries out the skin
Virginia
I was able to follow the recipe quite successfully, with the addition of a large yellow onion cut into eighths, dumped into the pan alongside the chicken for the second roasting (after flipping). It was wonderful. I didn't find it hard at all. I used a very wide spatula with a metal spoon inserted into the cavity and had no trouble flipping the bird (and didn't burn myself).
Lillibet W
This recipe resulted in the best roast chicken I've ever made. Used an organic free-range chicken, just under 5 lbs, as that was the smallest available. Dry-brined it a day and a half before cooking, and that seemed to be plenty of time, because it came out juicy and flavorful. Used a 10" stainless steel skillet, and heated it in the oven as the oven preheated. Next time I'll oil the pan, because the skin stuck to the pan on both sides. Absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked. Yum.
Mary
I ordered the Zuni cookbook a few years ago and the chicken also has a recipe for the most delicious dressing. Fiddly to do but well worth it. Just a wonderful recipe. It would be great if you could add it or else people could Google Zuni's chicken and find something very similar. Well worth the trouble.
Ilene J
This recipe, which I've made several times, yields a much better chicken than the original one at Zuni Cafe, where I had dinner 2 weeks ago! At Zuni, the skin was flabby, not crisp.
Jgconley3
I don't understand the last steps, would be helpful to see a viewo.
Lyn
Cooked Judy Rodger's Zuni Chicken and Bread Salad recipe from Food & Wine. I made it for New Years Eve dinner and it was spectacular! Wonderful flavors in both the chicken and salad. The bread salad process is involved and takes some time, but it's simple and completely worth it! And the 2 of us almost finished off the salad...
Jill MKE
I cooked two whole chickens and they turned out amazing. The skin was like paper thin and perfectly crisp all around the bird, it literally fell off the bone and was very easy to cut up and serve. My smoke alarm went off so much we had to take it down, it was a very slight smoke emitting from the oven, but enough to trigger the alarm. The oven needs a good cleaning now as it really was abused! I roasted at 450 for 60 minutes with 20 minute turns, started breast up and ended breast up. Perfect.
Cindy
I spatchcocked my 4.5 lb chicken and did not flip for 50 minutes on 475. AMAZING!!!
girlchef
do yourself a favor and find the full recipe with the bread salad, the best dish I’ve ever made.
Carla K.
One recipe to rule them all. Followed it to a T and it is just perfection. I’ll never roast chicken any other way.
Hugh B
I go even simpler. Use a 3.75 lb chicken (close as you can get). Salt chicken very liberally inside and out. Fill cavity with onions, garlic, herbs, anything you have around. Truss. Let sit in fridge for 3 days, uncovered. Roast in a roasting pan for 1 hour at 450 convection. Don’t bother flipping. Mouthwateringly good every time.
Chantal S
This is the best roast chicken I have ever made. Rave reviews from those I’ve made it for.
Leslie Dumont
Silicone oven mitts are great for flipping the bird. After project is done, just put them on and wash your hands with a tad of dish soap.
Craig
Best made with a scrawny pasture raised chicken….simple and sublime
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