Roast Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 4-pound bird chicken
• salt
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• for dredging flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup boiling water
• 1 cup boiling water

Method

Truss the bird tightly so the legs stay pinned to the breast — this ensures even heat penetration and prevents the thighs from drying out before the breast is cooked through. Pat the skin completely dry. Salt generously all over at least 40 minutes before roasting, or up to 24 hours ahead. This draws moisture to the surface, where it evaporates during cooking and allows the maillard-reaction to proceed unimpeded, building the deep mahogany crust you want.

Set the oven to 220°C. Place the chicken on its back on a rack in a roasting pan. Cream 45g softened butter with 30g flour to a smooth paste — this beurre manié acts as both flavour enhancer and crust accelerant — and spread it thickly over the breast and thighs. Dredge the bottom of the pan with a thin layer of flour. Roast for 20 minutes until the flour browns to a light tan, then reduce the heat to 190°C. This two-stage heat mimics the effect of a hot oven without the risk of burning the coating before the meat cooks.

Begin basting every 10 minutes with a mixture of 60ml melted butter and 160ml boiling water. The water carries heat to the surface whilst the butter aids browning — the salt you applied earlier has already seasoned the bird, so don't add more to the baste. Repeat the flour dredging twice during cooking — after 30 minutes and again after 45 minutes — building successive layers of crust. If you prefer a glazed finish instead, omit the second and third dredging and simply brush melted butter over the skin at those intervals.

The bird is done when the thigh registers 75°C at the thickest point near the bone, or when the juices run clear if you lack a thermometer. This takes roughly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes depending on the bird's exact weight and your oven's behaviour. As the liquid depletes, substitute the fat that has rendered into the pan bottom, adding splashes of boiling water only as needed to prevent the flour scorching. Rest the bird for 15 minutes before carving. Use the browned flour and pan juices to make gravy — the floor of the pan contains the concentrated flavour you've built through roasting.