Barbara Kafka's Simplest Roast Chicken

This is the same as Thomas Keller's recipe except with a larger chicken and he doesn't place anything inside the cavity because he says the drier the air the more crispy the chicken will be. I think adding things into the cavity doesn't even affect the taste. He salts and peppers the entire chicken and roasts at 450. The high heat makes it more moist than low heat.

This was certainly an effortless Thanksgiving PREP alternative to the ubiquitous turkey dinner. The end result was crisp skinned, tender and juicy. I followed the recipe exactly without any substitutions or alterations. Our fire alarm went off 4 times. I was forced to employ every fan in the house, open every window, and that was with a one-month old pristinely clean new oven. It was literally intolerable for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Was the outcome worth the discomfort? Probably not. I think I will revert to my tried and true roasting method in the future and avoid the smoke inhalation but ya know, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I have declared this my favorite pandemic roast chicken recipe. I happen to come across this recipe video with Merrill Stubbs on Facebook and was intrigued that I watched it a couple of times before I tried it. I work long hours in an Emergency Room and needed an easy but hearty chicken recipe for two teenagers.
To my surprise, this is an awesome method because there is very little prep work for very high return. I have made this now at least two dozen times and each time is fantastic.

If you enjoy cleaning your oven, this is the recipe for you.
There was a big hullabaloo when this recipe first came out.
Because of the high heat, the oven needs to be clean before you roast ( to avoid a grease fire and filling your kitchen with smoke).
Then of course, you'll have to clean your oven again when finished because (you guessed it) your oven will be splattered with grease, which will smoke the next time you use your oven.

I love this cookbook. I think I got it not long after my wedding (the cookbook lasted longer than the marriage! Lol) I have made the roasted chicken so many times and everyone is amazed I cook at 500! It’s wonderful! I do skip the deglazing and always roast the chicken on a bunch of veggies. They are the best when they have soaked up all those delicious juices! No need for a roasting rack. I’ve used potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, turnips; whatever you fancy. Roasting is the best! Thank you Barbara Kafka for this wonderful cookbook.

Roasting a chicken has always intimidated me. Thanks to Food52 and Barbara Kafka --I used this recipe to roast my first ever chicken! The recipe made it simple, and the results were delicious. It's rare that my picky teen and my adventurous ten year-old both enjoy the same meal, but this one was a hit. I love the cooking instruction of baking in high heat for 10 minutes per pound and using whatever herbs and vegetables you have on hand. In my case, I used onions, shallots, garlic, fresh rosemary, celery and a lemon. I also added potatoes at the bottom of the dutch oven, as suggested by Cook's Illustrated. Overall, a very satisfying meal and I will make again.

Made this last night using root vegetables. They were delicious and the chicken was juicy, and the skin was crispy. Yum! Thank you!

Tried this recipe last night as written. Results were a juicy and tender chicken with a gorgeous golden crust and a house full of smoke! I think I did well by following the genius tip to avoid the smoke... pan size and placed lower in a clean oven. Absolutely loving the ease and final chicken I’ll by trying again with the addition of veggies. Who doesn’t love a one dish meal anyways?!

I have made this numerous times. I have used potatoes and onions under the chicken and have recently tried sweet potatoes and onions under the chicken. The sweet potatoes are the best! They take on a savory taste with the chicken juice cooking into them. I won’t try it any other way!

I've always used this recipe as a basis for roasting chicken and the skin is outstanding: thin and crispy. My other favorite chicken roasting tip is to slide pats of butter under the skin on the breast and legs so the fat melts into the meat as it cooks.

excellent recipe. I turned off the oven after an hour and let the chicken stand in the over for an hour or so. it was perfect. I didn't bother with the sauce.

I've made this recipe several times with excellent results. Interestingly, I made it at my son's house twice. He just has a basic "non convection" oven. Worked like a charm! I have a very fancy "bells and whistles" oven. I tried this recipe on "convection roast" at 450 and the skin started to burn instead of brown within the first 15 minutes. So much for fancy ovens! I am wondering if this roast chicken recipe could be adapted to turkey? Same concept- high heat, 10 minutes per pound. Has anyone tried it?

This recipe is amazing! Some minor tweaks that worked well for me. 1. Ensure chicken is as dry as possible before seasoning. 2. Rub kosher salt and pepper inside and out first (I used about 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1 teaspoon pepper). 3. Smear softened butter inside and out. 4. Finally, add lemon and garlic to the cavity. Throughout roasting, as soon as the pan started to smoke, I added about 1 cup of room temperature water. I had to do this about 4 times throughout the cooking process, but those juices were just too precious to let burn! It yielded a delicious "jus", but probably added an extra 5-7 minutes to the total roasting time. The result was absolutely delicious and juicy chicken as promised, and the skin was still very crispy, despite adding the water. This recipe is genius and a game-changer for sure, especialy when compared to the tedious method of roasting at 350 degrees. Cheers!

Loved it! Made mine in a Dutch oven over quartered onions and turned out perfect. No smoke at all. Subbed oranges for lemons. Breast was golden perfection, legs were a little less brown (probably because of sides of Dutch oven) but I plan on using them for a different purpose. Will be a regular recipe!

I had high hopes for this recipe, but there was just too much smoke in the oven. Since there was a note about the pan possibly being too big and causing the smoke I switched pans mid-way through cooking. Alas, the smoke continued. I was a bit disappointed.

This was my first roasted chicken, and the family enjoyed it very much! So perfect! Thank you!

This recipe N E V E R fails me!

I just tried this. The skin is definitely crispy, but the meat wasn't cooked through. Maybe cause I used a glass baking dish? Or the potatoes cramped it up too much so that there wasn't space for the heat? I will have to try again. But I can attest to the fact that the potatoes keep it from spattering about.

hi can i use turbo broiler for this recipe?

Has anyone used a roasting rack in the pan for this?

This recipe was so insanely good.

(Writing/looking on phone so pardon if answered already but-) I assume this is ok to cook in the morning and reheat for dinner? Can’t make right before dinner as I usually do.

I know this is an old post, but this cooking method is much like Thomas Keller's Very simple Roast chicken (basically rinse, dry salt pepper chicken inside and out. Bake at 450 for 50-60 min). This has always turned out for me, and I plan on trying this. I think the negative results must be from the meat. I always use a Trader Joes organic chicken and it's always great.

This came out perfect - crisp skin, juicy meat. I used the suggestion to line the pan with sliced potatoes and did not have a wisp of smoke - and the potatoes were delicious!

I'm going through my new copy of Genius Recipes and am delighted to come across this old friend. I've been roasting chickens this way for the last ten years or so, with 95% success. No matter what other methods I try, I always return to this one. If I think far enough ahead, I brine the chicken for 24 hours and then rest it in the refrigerator for another 24 to let the salt distribute, but it's rare that I show that much foresight. Seasonings vary by mood and availability.

Has anyone tried this with herb butter under the skin?

I've made this Kafka recipe a dozen times with perfect results until last night. I cooked two Foster Farms chickens in separate pans at 475 degrees on convection for 50 minutes (I live at 4500ft altitude). Because the meat was still slightly pink inside, I cooked the chickens another 10 minutes. At that point, I let them sit, covered, for about 10 minutes. NEVER have I tasted a WORSE texture in a chicken before! The meat was a cross between gristle and gizzard. Inedible. The chicken were not frozen when I bought them that morning, and they sat out on the counter for an hour to take the refrigerator chill off of them before they were put in the oven. I see one other person 4 yrs ago complained of the same issue although I didn't see a response/explanation. Can anyone tell me what happened to the chicken meat to make it so awful?? No, it wasn't brined first and the chickens were normal FF chickens from the grocer.

Since when is astrophysics not fun?!

Cooked 2 birds (5lbs ea) simultaneously. Just over 50 minutes on 450 convection and it was flawless. Beautiful Sunday dinner and enough leftovers for salad and sandwiches for the week! Amazed at the fantastic crispy skin without any additional butter or oil on the skin. And the pan juices made a lovely sauce.

I read all 87 comments before venturing into this. I went through the good and the bad, of which there was far more good. In my humble opinion, if you follow the directions, there is no way you can lose. I went with 10 minutes per pound on a 9 1/2 lb bird, set my convection oven at 450 and it worked like a Swiss watch, Exact. My husband is the de boner of chickens in our house, and he was nearly through the big boy when I stepped into the kitchen to taste the crispy skin; Something not to be missed. The whole chicken was moist and flavorful. Try it, you will not be disappointed...if you follow the directions.

Did NOT turn out. Can you believe, 58 minutes in a 500° oven, and juices did not run clear and part of the breast near the bone was literally raw.

Finally made this chicken last night!

The outcome at putting it on such high heat is that the skin turned out incredibly crispy. The meat was moist as well, but I reckon I can make it even more moist next time. Perhaps I should dry/wet brine it before next time. Has anyone tried brining before for this dish?

My chicken was only 2.3 lbs, so I put it at 450 F for 25 minutes. I estimated 10 mins/lb as advised from a previous blogpost. As warned, there were alot of smoke in the oven and I ended up smoking up my whole apartment much to my boyfriend's amusement. If I can make the meat more tender, I would say smoking up the apartment is worth it.

Rating: 8/10. This is my favourite Roast Chicken recipe, but this is still my favourite chicken recipe: https://food52.com/blog/12101-jamie-oliver-s-chicken-in-milk

The only improvement I would make, would be to make

Excited about making this recipe, though I will say we're about 15 minutes into the cooking time and our 3/4ths size apartment oven is flooding our apartment with smoke. Skin looks nice and crispy, but we're covering this puppy up with foil and turning the temp down to 350 for the rest of the cooking time.

Adapted the recipe to make roast duck for a Christmas party, and am happy to report it worked a charm! Flavoured it with an orange, garlic, bay leaves and star anise - crispy skin and tender meat!

i am wondering about applying this rule for my thanksgiving turkey......?? my turkey is 8.5lbs and this says up to 7 lbs.....any thoughts?

Just made this for Sunday supper - delicious! Added potatoes and carrots to the pan and followed the recipe. No smoke, just amazing chicken and crispy skin. Paired it with a simple salad and a wonderful Chardonnay. Perfect!

Any problems with excessive smoking? My husband made this, very smoky. Is there something he did wrong?

I was worried a bit about this technique, but it totally worked! Since I was not making a pan gravy, I used the suggestion by mschrank and lined the pan with thinly sliced potatoes and I had no smoke at all. And those potatoes were absolutely delicious - next time will use a few layers! My chicken was a little over 4 pounds so I set my timer for 45 minutes, but checked with my Thermapen in both the inner breast and thigh and it was done! Rested it for 10 minutes and really enjoyed how juicy all the meat was with a crispy top skin. The bottom of the bird browned but did not crisp (probably due to the potatoes). Genius!

Totally great chicken! I will admid, I just couldn't believe it didn't need to be buttered/oiled on the outside so I DID stray there, and butter the bird, but followed the rest of the instructions and the bird was brilliant. I've been following a recipe from Americas Test Kitchen for years, with no reason to stray. I also brine religously. But, had a bird in the fridge that needed to be eaten tonight, so here we are, and boy am I glad:)

Someone tell me, is it really supposed to cook unoiled on the outside? I just kept thinking I was missing something in the directions, or that that was missing from the directions:)

Finally made this tonight and LOVE IT. Only difference - used Lime in place of lemon and added dried Rosemary and Thyme, and a drizzle of olive oil. I've never had a chicken with crispier skin. I roasted a 5.77 pound chicken for an hour and made the gravy, as well. AWESOME. As a side, I roasted beets, finger potatoes and brussel sprouts in balsamic vinegar - first time to cook and eat fresh beets. Never knew what I was missing - beets are tasty! The kitchen does smell smoky, but it was totally worth it. I will make this again. Thanks!

I am going to try this tonight and am very excited! !

Crispiest skin I have ever gotten on a chicken! Delicious, thank you. I added rosemary to the cavity and enjoyed it with mashed cauliflower and oven crisped red potatoes.

The skin was so crispy and delicious I could barely stop myself from tearing into it before actually putting it on a plate for dinner (one wing may have been sacrificed). What a great technique!

I make this simple chicken recipe a lot. I roast it in a large skillet then make a simple gravy on the stove top while the chicken is resting. It comes out perfect every time. I love experimenting with new flavor profiles. Last week I had some left over gremolata from Minimally Invasive's delicious Short Rib Ragu (https://food52.com/recipes/8578-short-rib-ragu) and used it as rub under the skin of the chicken. Amazing.

Excellent Roast Chicken! Followed recipe other than adding fresh thyme and sage sprigs to cavity. Boiled the left over juice with broth plus added everything from chicken cavity (lemon,garlic,thyme and sage sprigs). Was a bit too salty so added 1/2 cup of water and continued to reduce while chicken rested. WAS THE BOMB! Thank you Barbara!

If you have a problem with the chicken For good fortune in the New Year, a plate of black-eyed peas is considered auspicious, especially in the American South. Believe it or don’t. For many, consuming this frugal dish on the first day of the year is said to augur wealth.

Of course, there’s a back story.

Sephardic Jews were evidently eating black-eyed peas for good luck on Rosh Hashana centuries ago, and the custom eventually traveled with them to America. (We think of beans as purely New World, along with tomatoes, chiles and potatoes, but legumes like field peas, chickpeas and lentils have been Old World staples since biblical times.)

Black-eyed peas also arrived in Florida and the Caribbean, carried by African slaves. Just as African seasoning influenced Creole cooking, so black-eyed peas became part of the wider culture.

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Ultimately, the Civil War played a part in the spread of the black-eyed pea throughout the South. The ravages of war and the scarcity of food changed the region’s diet. Dried beans and corn, formerly considered the food of the poor (or animal fodder), became the food of the entire population, and I expect most people felt lucky to have it.

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Black-eyed peas cook much like any other dried bean. An overnight soak in cold water helps them cook faster. Simmered with onion and a meaty ham bone (other options are salt pork, bacon, pigs feet, hog jowl and ham hock), they can be prepared quite simply, with just salt and pepper. But they may also be made highly seasoned with hot pepper and spices; some cooks add tomato.

I find the New Year’s custom especially attractive, as I’m a certifiable bean booster and would gladly dig into a bowl of black-eyed peas anytime. They have an exquisite texture and aroma like no other legume.

Adding cooked greens (the color of money) is said to make them even luckier.

Freshly baked cornbread (the color of gold) is the perfect accompaniment. Stir in some steamed rice and you can call it Hoppin’ John, though purists will say the rice and beans should be cooked in the same pot. It’s still a lucky dish, either way.

Aside from being outrageously tasty, black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day may also help a hangover. But I like the good-luck factor, and encourage guests to have at least a taste. It couldn’t hurt, right?

Photo

I have to make a very large dinner and ideally need to roast two chickens at once--is this a terrible idea, or should it work provided they don't touch?

I used a 4.6lb chicken and it needed 75 minutes, not 50-60, but mine wasn't brought to room temp. In addition to the lemon, garlic and butter, I also stuffed the cavity with some thyme and a little onion. Made the pan sauce with the drippings and 1/2 cup homemade chicken stock, 1/2 cup extra dry vermouth. Everything was delicious - But my bird didn't look like the bird in the picture. The skin was crisp, especially on the breast and the upper part of the thighs, but the rest - while brown - wasn't super crisp. Easy, no-fuss recipe.

This was incredibly simple and delicious. The high heat as well as not rubbing butter on the skin are out of my comfort zone but yielded perfectly cooked white and dark meat and golden brown, crisp skin. Next time I'll try it without the optional butter in the cavity, just for experimentation's sake.

does this recipe recommend the 2nd lowest rack position because the chicken is supposed to be farther away from or closer to the heat source? (i have a separate broiler oven underneath my regular oven, so the heat source is below the regular oven.)

This is a good technique but I can't agree with "50 to 60 minutes, or until the juices run clear." Instant read thermometer is a must, in my opinion. Remove from the oven when an instant-read thermometer reads 155 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast. The thickest portion of the thigh should be 10-15 degrees higher. Rest for 10-20 minutes and the temperatures should rise another 10 degrees.

I love this recipe, it is now in regular rotation at my house. So easy. I roast it in a cast iron skillet and have added potatoes and carrots to the pan to cook along with the chicken - very good. I have also placed a separate pan of vegetables in the oven along with the chicken to roast - a fantastic, simple, delicious dinner.

I've roasted lots of chickens in my day, usually via the Julia Childs technique of basting every 10 minutes or so. this recipe was as good as hers and a lot easier (no basting). I put a greased cast iron skillet in the oven while it was heating, and then put the chicken in the hot skillet to roast. Used a ThermaPen temperature probe where the thigh and the breast meet. All I can say is, "wow!" Crispy skin, tasty and tender meat.

This was delicious, but it did spatter the oven quite a bit. I covered it with tin foil for part of the cooking time because of this, and then needed to cook it for ten minutes longer.

I've never roasted a chicken before, this recipe was my first time! thank you so much! I do have a question however: the breast was already well cooked and drying but the bottom/drumsticks were still not cooked. How do we make sure that it is cooked evenly?

This chicken was absolutely delicious!!! Fanned and faved!!! Just one NEGATIVE comment, if you (commenters) aren't going to follow the recipe EXACTLY, then why are you posting about the finished product not being like you hoped. If you tried/followed the recipe and it didn't work out, that' what I want to know about. Sharing new recipes, flipping the bird to breast down, adding rosemary are not part of BK's recipe. BK's chicken recipe came out fabulous as is! Will make this at least once a week and then maybe, maybe, maybe for variations try different seasonings.

I've made lots of roast chicken recipes over the last 30 years, and this was a hit at our house. Keep a window or door open if, like us, your kitchen is not adequately ventilated. Wonderfully moist chicken!

No need to turn the bird breast down in the roasting pan, the breast meat always comes out juicy. The high heat and fast cooking time is the key.

This sounds great, but I would still turn the bird on its breast so that gravity can help to keep the breast moist. Please DON'T use canola, the plants that it's made from have been genetically modified.

Fantastic recipe. This is going to be my go-to from now on! (I roasted carrots in the pan, too, and they were amazing.)

Delicious, juicy meat, & crispy skin. It did make some smoke, but blasting the vent cleared it right out. I will definitely make it again!

Thanks for the best roast chicken recipe!

I've been roasting my Thanksgiving turkey this way too, for years, thanks to Barbara and Gourmet Magazine. Simply THE best!!! Smoke has never been a problem but I am diligent about keeping my oven clean. I roast all my vegetables at 500 degrees too- green beans, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, asparagus........a little olive, salt and pepper- simple, unadulterated and oh so yummy.

I would urge everyone to try, what I consider the easiest and best, roast chicken and that is Rozanne Gold's Naked Roast Chicken. All she does is place a 4 pound chicken in a small roasting pan, just large enough to hold the chicken. It goes in breast side down in a preheated 475 degree oven. After 30 minutes she turns it over and bastes with the pan juices. Roasts 40 minutes longer, until the chicken is cooked through. She sprinkles it with salt and allows it to rest 5 minutes. The best roast chicken I have ever made - Perfectly juicy every time. Reduce the time if the chicken is less than 4 pounds. My only recommendation would be to lightly spray the pan with canola oil to prevent the skin from sticking. The chicken goes very well with Gourmet's Black Pepper-Maple Sauce.

Just a follow-up note: I tried the trick I mentioned below and it worked great! No smoke! And a few slices of deliciously flavored potatoes for the cook (the ones around the outside we're black, but the slices under the chicken were decadent). Glad I found a way to enjoy this great method without smoking the family out of the house.

Perfectly simple and lovely. So what the alarm went off. Will set exhaust fan up next time and make sure oven is clean!

does anyone else ever end up with disgusting fluid inside the cavity of roast chicken / turkey? any idea how to avoid this? Thanks

thanks barbara kafka.

I tried this last wk and it came out perfect, wasn't sure whether to chopped the garlic/squeeze the lemon, Anyway I didnt, now I can make roast chicken crispy/now i'll add my only flavor. Just rmbr to baste it which I didn't,so it stays tender/don't overcook. I had no issues with smoke why should you, even though I've never put my oven on 450 before.

It is the best I ever ate. Thanks

I have been using Kafkas recipe successfully for more than a decade by following these Cardinal rules: be sure bird is completely thawed and our of refrigerator for 30-40 minutes prior to cooking, do not open stove door for first 40 minutes, be absolutely sure your oven is completely clean.

I loved it! So moist and flavorful!!! And SO EASY! I turned the vent on and had no problems with smoke. I'll definitely make it again!

So I decided to give this recipe a shot. As others mention, the smoke is a bit heavy but I cracked windows and turned on the exhaust fans in advance and managed to avoid setting off the alarms. I was not able to have my chicken sit out to room temperature prior to cooking (although thawed) and adjusted the time from 10 min per pound to 15 minutes per pound (I roasted a 5 lb chicken). I stuffed it with shallots, garlic, lemon, and butter. I sprinkled a bit of Pampered Chef's Rosemary herb seasoning mix and garlic salt on top. We had no complaints, the chicken crisped up nicely and was cooked fully thru without issues. The breast was a little dry at the top but a slice or two into it the breast meat was moist. We agreed to make this again in the spring with the windows open. HA! I give it an 8 out of 10.

This recipe turned out awful as other reviewers have stated. The alarm went off, had to tell the alarm company to stand down and as soon as I cut into the leg, blood. After cooing for almost an hour, the chicken is back in the oven, the sides are getting cold and we're still tring to get the smoke out. The alarms are silent but the girlfriend isnt.

Worst roasted chicken recipe I have ever made and I've made plenty. If you enjoy the house smoking up hearing your smoke detectors going off, then have at it. The sauce that is made at the end is horrible. The only thing that was good about this chicken was that it looked good. I had to cook it longer than the recommended time given as it was still pink inside, thus more smoke in the kitchen. I should have listened to the comment about cooking it at such a high heat for such a short time.

I intend to try this using my electric barbecue grill outside, to eliminate any smoking problems. Since the grill is electric, the cooking should be the same.

Does anyone know what "chocolate shot" is? The rum ball recipe says to roll in shot or sprinkle....?

Where can I find the 'tenderloin' recipe?

which liquid is best to use for the stock?

I wasn't sure from the instructions if I should place a lid on my roaster pan or not. Did you cook it covered or uncovered?

my second comment is a correction from my initial comment!!ugh i wish we could edit our posts!!

I have seen this enfamercial on t.v. advertising this cooker that cooks frozen turkey's, chicken,and basically any meats!!

I can't wait to try this!i have seen this enfamercial on t.v. advertising this cooker thator half cooks frozen solid turkeys, chicken, and basically any meats......it cooks them in like 30 to 60 minutes from solid frozen!!! They were saying how moist, and yummy the meat was done when it was done!! So in retrospect, if that can be acomplishedfor sure this recipe can!!

I love her soooo much

Kafka's technique is also great for turkey. A 13 lb bird in about an hour or so.

I tried this again, just placing one bird in the pan. Smoked out again! I just read a tip on the Cook's Illustrated site: Line the pan with thinly sliced potatoes to absorb the grease/juice and stop the smoking. I'll try this next time, since I don't make gravy from the drippings anyway. Also, I found a whole lemon stuffed the cavity too much and prevented the bird from cooking evenly (no heat could get into the cavity). All this notwithstanding, it was one of the best roast chickens I've made!

This was absolutely delicious. I put garlic cloves, lemon slices and ginger slices in the cavity. The meat was moist and amazing, the skin crispy, the sauce from the juices divine. But I did get a kitchen full of smoke even with cutting off fat from tail and crop. Any suggestions for eliminating the smoke?

The result was great, but am I the only one who had a house full of smoke resulting from this? I did two birds at once, placed on a roasting rack in a large roasting pan. The high heat combined with the drippings onto the hot roasting pan resulted in the need to remove the batteries from the nearest smoke detector and lingering smell of over-roasted chicken for 3 days! I'll they this again, but place only one bird directly on the bottom of a roasting pan as directed.

I've made this once before and loved it. We're doing it again tonight, with brined chicken (using Thomas Keller's brine). Last time I didn't stuff the cavity at all, but it turned out astounding.

I finally tried this method over the weekend after contemplating every which way I could prepare two chickens. I thought about the Ruhlman rosemary brine, the Judy Rodgers dry rub, spatchcocking and grilling, etc. -- the number of ways to prepare a chicken is dizzying! Because I wanted something truly simple (with no advance prep), this recipe fit the bill. It yielded the most succulent birds and by far the crispiest skin I've ever gotten on a chicken. The recipe really doesn't seem all that different from others -- but somehow the sequence of steps is unique and truly genius.

Good! I have found the PERFECT way to time roast chicken like this. 15 minutes per pound plus an additional 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Perfectly cooked each time.

Ahh finally. I did it! The perfect roast chicken. My not-too-dry paranoia was assuaged and my boyfriend's not-too-not-done paranoia was calmed as well. Yay!

Gosh, this was so easy and so lovely. I too have tried many other roasting methods, many to great success, but none as easy and juicy as this. I still spatchcock my turkeys for Thanksgiving, as it cuts down greatly on the roasting time and I have only one oven. But I will never make a chicken another way again. Thanks for bringing us "back to basics".

I'd been using Keller's method for a few years and liked it. The Kafka chicken is even better--I just tried it tonight. I think the thighs cook better in this version, and yet the breast doesn't overcook.

My new go to recipe!! Loved it!

This is one of my "go to" techniques, when I want to demonstrate that cooking well doesn't require a lot of gadgetry and arcane skill. The high heat throws em, but once demonstrated- it's rather like a religious conversion.

I love this one. I make it all the time. The other one that is very good is the Tenderloin recipe.

Sometimes not getting hooked by every recipe that comes down the pike is a blessing. I have this recipe from the original release of book and still use it to great success. Many of her recipes including microwave risotto are great.