Home About me All the recipes. More or less organized Inspiration Wanna send me a note? Italian version

After All It's Just a Chicken...

Saturday, June 20, 2009
Zuni Cafe Roasted Chicken

...right? Wrong. It's ZUNI CHICKEN.
For those who live in San Francisco and surrounding, Zuni Cafe is an institution, one of those places you can go 1,000 times and yet, right when the espresso comes, you already dream of the day you'll afford to go back. It's not only for their menu - because if you think about it, they are famous for a roasted chicken and a salad! - but it's for the passion they put into preparing your food, their love for sustainable, local and seasonal ingredients, for their open kitchen where the chefs don't have ANY single spot of sauce on their uniform, for their rustic bread, so fragrant and crunchy, for the impeccable yet unpretentious waitstaff, for their deep knowledge of the history of all ingredients that go in your dinner - from the type of olive oil mill to the origin of the cocoa beans that go in the chocolate cake; it's for the people that seat at the table next to you, who instantly become your friends just because you exchange opinions on the ricotta gnocchi, it's for the wide windows that look above that theater that has become Market Street, for those stairs that lead to the second floor, and yes, so that you too can say....I've been there.

Since I tried it the first time, I've always wanted to replicate the recipe for Zuni Roasted Chicken at home. I have to admit, though, I am super lazy and the 20+ pages of meticulous description of the process, as they appear in the Zuni-Bible have always turned me down. Whaaaaaat? If it takes me 4 hours just to read the recipe, it will take me at least 3 days to execute it, and all this for a damned chicken!
That is correct, one of the secrets is indeed to plan in advance and let the bird rest in the fridge all naked - well, almost... - for one to three days, so that the meat can absorb all the aroma from the fresh herbs.

Last week I really set my mind on the project, I printed tons of pages on Zuni's chicken and I totally committed myself. I had also promised my pot friend Irene (pot being the pan and not the weed...) that I would confront the chicken one day and I would transfer the recipe overseas. You have to keep your own word, so they say.
The chicken is really excellent. The recipe is very simple after all (despite its lenght...), just follow this simple advice: in order for it to come out just right, you have to select and treat the ingredients with love, Zuni style.


Zuni Roasted Chicken
for 4 people

1 small whole chicken approx. 3 lb.
rosemary, thyme,sage 4 sprigs each
salt, pepper
country style bread, stale 8 oz.
currants 1 tablespoon
pine nuts 2 tablespoons
olive oil, white or Champagne vinegar, red vinegar
garlic 2 or 3 cloves
scallions 4
arugula or frisee a couple of handfuls


Prepare the chicken (at least one day in advance, better if 2 or 3), discarding any fat lump from the inside, rinse it and pat it dry, inside and outside. It is important that the chicken be really dry, because if it stays wet, the water will take too much time steaming before the skin can actually start turning brown.
Using your fingers, make a little pocket under the skin of each of the breasts and thighs, and insert one sprig of each of the herbs. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper, cover with plastic and refrigerate.

For the bread salad, discard all the crust, cut the bread in slices approximately 1" thick and then cut them in big chunks. Brush with olive oil and broil for few minutes, turning them on each side so that the surface turns golden brown.
Make a vinaigrette with 1/4 cup of oil, 1 1/2 tablespoon of white or Champagne vinegar, salt and pepper. Toss the bread with one quarter of it and set aside. You can also prepare this few hours in advance. Moist the currants with 1 tablespoon red vinegar and 1 tablespoon warm water and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 475 (exact temperature will depend on the size of the chicken). Warm the roasting pan by placing it in the oven for about 10 minutes, then place the chicken in it, breast-side up, and put it in the oven. Check it after 20 minutes, if the skin hasn't started browning yet, raise the temperature by about 25 degrees; if instead it is too dark and the fat has started smoking, reduce it accordingly. After about 30 minutes, turn the bird over and let it cook breast-side down for another 10-20 minutes. Turn it again and keep roasting for 5-10 minutes longer (total roasting time will be anywhere between 45 minutes and 1 hour).

In the meantime, slightly toast the pine nuts. In another pan, heat a tablespoon olive oil and briefly saute the slivered garlic and scallions, without letting them turning brown. Add pine nuts, garlic and scallions, and drained currants to the bread salad. Drizzle with one tablespoon of water, taste and eventually add more salt and/or vinegar. Keep it warm (you can also place it in a baking dish and put it in the oven with the chicken during the last 10 minutes).

When the chicken is ready (you can test by checking the juices that are released, they have to be clear and not red), arrange it on a plate and let it cool down. Slash the stretched skin between the thighs and breasts, then tilt the dish and drain the juices over the roasting pan.
Discard the clear fat, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the rest and gently simmer for few minutes. Add the greens to the warm bread, dress with 2 or 3 tablespoons of the chicken juices and the rest of the vinaigrette which you prepared before. Arrange the bread salad nicely on a serving dish.
Cut the chicken in 8 pieces, and set them on the plate with the greens and the bread salad. Serve it while still warm.
9 comments
Unknown said... [Reply to comment]

louboutin sale
fitflop footwear
Red Bottoms Shoes
mbt shoes discontinued
christian louboutin men
MBT,MBT Shoes,MBT Shop
mbt mens shoes
louboutin boots
christian louboutin shoes
mbt shoes store locator
Red Bottom Shoes
Red Bottom Shoes For Men
fitflop on sale
mbt shoes review
mbt sandals
Red Bottoms For Women
christian louboutin outlet
mbt kisumu 2
christian louboutin mens shoes
christian louboutin so kate
christian louboutin boots
discount fitflops
christian louboutin pigalle
Red Bottom Shoes For Women
fitflops clearance sale
mbt footwear
christian louboutins
www.mbt.com
mbt shoes outlet
mbt sale
fitflop outlet
red shoes
fitflop sandals sale

chenlili said... [Reply to comment]

ugg on sale
canada goose jackets
adidas yeezy
moncler coats
tory burch handbags
michael kors outlet online
canada goose sale
rolex watches
cheap uggs
ugg boots
mlb jerseys
toms outlet
giuseppe zanotti outlet
cincinnati bengals jerseys
louis vuitton handbags
cleveland cavaliers jerseys
oakley sunglasses
ray ban sunglasses
cheap air jordans
canada goose outlet
air jordans
nike air max 90
coach outlet
louis vuitton outlet online
hogan scarpe
ugg uk
nike outlet
louis vuitton purses
mbt shoes
kate spade handbags
michael kors outlet clearance
mont blanc pens cheap
michael kors outlet
michael kors outlet online
uggs sale
coach outlet
michael kors purses
new england patriots jerseys
chenlili20160830

raybanoutlet001 said... [Reply to comment]

san antonio spurs
saics running shoes
michael kors handbags
cardinals jersey
cleveland cavaliers jersey
abercrombie and fitch
titans jersey
adidas nmd
ecco
nike huarache

chenlili said... [Reply to comment]

valentino shoes
polo ralph lauren
dolce & gabbana sunglasses
cheap replica watches
air force 1
nike kyrie 4
nike shoes
louboutin
birkenstock
michael kors outlet
20185.26chenjinyan

Unknown said... [Reply to comment]

michael kors canada
air max 90
swarovski
kate spade outlet
new balance shoes
england world cup jersey
longchamp
michael kors
michael kors outlet
nike shoes
2018.6.11chenlixiang

chenlina said... [Reply to comment]

maglie calcio
marc jacobs handbags
gentle monster sunglasses
hermes jewelry
clarisonic
adidas crazy
lebron soldier 10
jbl speakers
abercrombie
basketball jersey
chenlina20180627

Obat Herbal Untuk Penyakit Chikungunya said... [Reply to comment]

Terima kasih artikelnya sangat membantu sekali mudah-mudahan artikel ini bermanfaat bagi semua.

Cara Mengatasi Penyakit Kuning Yang Tak Kunjung Sembuh

Cara Menghilangkan Kelenjar Tiroid said... [Reply to comment]

Very interesting article, thank you for sharing. I also want to share the following health articles, God willing, useful. Thank you :)

Obat Usus Buntu Tanpa Operasi
Cara Mengatasi Sembelit atau Konstipasi
Obat Iritasi Mata Karena Softlens
Obat Kelenjar Getah Bening Menahun

Obat Herbal Epiglotitis said... [Reply to comment]

thanks, his article is very helpful

5 Obat Herbal Pelancar Penyumbatan Pembuluh Darah Di Otak
Obat Untuk Penyakit Candidiasis
Obat Herbal Fibroid Rahim
Obat Varises Esofagus
Faktor Penyebab Parkinson
Cara Mengatasi Kutil Kelamin
Obat Disfagia Alami

Post a Comment