Mark Bittman's Basic Roast Chicken Parts With Variations

Submitted by blucoat

"The simplest chicken recipe there is and perhaps the easiest as well. Add the herb here if you like or see the flavoring ideas that follow. This is the kind of dish you’ll never get tired of, because you can change the flavoring every time you make it. From Mark Bittman's cookbook," How to Cook Everything" (10th Edition)."

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photo by Baby Kato

Ready In:: 55mins
Ingredients:: 4
Serves:: 6

ingredients

¹⁄₄ cup extra virgin olive oil or 1/4 cup butter
1 whole chickens, 3 to 4 pounds, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 8 pieces or 1 any combination chicken parts
salt & freshly ground black pepper
¹⁄₄ 1/4 cup sage (optional) or 1/4 cup a combination herbs (optional)

directions

Heat the oven to 450°F Put the oil or butter in a roasting pan and put it in the oven for a couple of minutes, until the oil is hot or the butter melts. Add the chicken and turn it a couple of times in the fat, leaving it skin side up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and return the pan to the oven.
After the chicken has cooked for 15 minutes, toss about one-quarter of the herb, if you’re using any, over it and turn the pieces. Sprinkle on another quarter of the herb and roast for another 10 minutes.
Turn the chicken over (now skin side up again), add another quarter of the herb, and cook until the chicken is done (you’ll see clear juices if you make a small cut in the meat near the bone), a total of 30 to 40 minutes at most. Garnish with the remaining herb and skim excess fat from the pan juices if necessary; serve, with some of the juices spooned over it.
ROAST CHICKEN PARTS WITH BLACK BEANS VARIATION: First, soak 2 tablespoons fermented black beans in water, sherry, or wine to cover. In place of the butter or olive oil, use peanut oil or a neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn. Mix together 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 2 minced scallions, 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar or honey. Drain the black beans and add them to this mixture; thin it to a paste, if necessary, with a little more soy sauce. In Step 1, spread a little of this mixture all over the raw chicken and put the chicken in the roasting pan; return the pan to the oven. Proceed with Steps 2 and 3, using the soy-based mixture for basting in place of the herb mixture.
MORE VARIATIONS: You can combine these ideas at will; it's hard to go wrong here. Add with the chicken at the beginning of cooking unless otherwise specified. (1) Add a few sprigs of a stronger herb like thyme, sage, oregano, or rosemary. (2) Add several (or many!) cloves of garlic. (3) Add a cup or so of chopped onion, shallot, or leek. (4) Add a cup or so of sliced fresh mushrooms, after the first 15 minutes of roasting. (5) Add a lot of hot dried chiles, a couple of roasted, soaked, and chopped milder chiles, or both. (6) Add 2 or 3 lemons (oranges and limes are good too), cut in half; when the chicken is done, squeeze the hot lemon juice over it. (7) Use peanut oil instead of olive oil and add several slices of ginger and garlic after turning the chicken skin side up again. When chicken is done, drizzle with soy sauce and dark sesame oil, then garnish with scallions and/or cilantro. (8) Use Compound Butter, Flavored Oil, or Vinaigrette from the beginning of the cooking or as a basting sauce during cooking. (9) Rub the chicken with 1/2 cup or so of Pesto or any other herb paste from the beginning of the cooking. (10) Stir in a dollop of grainy French-style mustard when the chicken is done. (11) Add a couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes and some black olives after turning the chicken skin side up again. (12) Stir in a cup of any salsa in the last 10 minutes of cooking or spoon on top of the cooked chicken before serving. (13) Stir a couple tablespoons of any curry powder into a cup of yogurt or coconut milk and spoon or brush it on as a basting sauce during cooking.

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Reviews

I gave this 5 stars because the chicken came out perfectly moist and full of flavor. This recipe leaves a lot to your creativity and personal tastes. Today I tucked garlic cloves, cut in half, between the chicken. I also used some fresh rosemary sprigs and fresh thyme. Toward the end of cooking, I added grape tomatoes snd small baby bella mushrooms. After cooking I added capers and chopped parsley, strained off the fat, and poured the sauce over top. Made for Variety is the Spice of Life Event, 2013.

LucyS-D
What a lovely recipe, the chicken was perfect. I used both butter and olive oil, 3 whole smashed garlic cloves, a coarsely chopped sweet onions, three finely chopped shallots and a few sprigs of sage, oregano and marjoram in this dish. It was quick and easy and tasted terrific. Thanks for sharing this recipe that I will use again. Made for Variety is the Spice of Life Event 2013.

Baby Kato
This recipe is almost identical to the way I oven bake my chicken. It turned out fabulous! I used the option of marinating in a lemon and garlic vinaigrette prior to baking. The only change I made to this recipe was that I had to use a metal cake pan and use my grill to bake it (my oven is not working right now). It still came out perfect. I plan to use more of your variations next time I make chicken this way. Thank you for posting your recipe. (Made for Variety is the Spice of Life tag game)

rosie316
Mark Bittman strikes again! This was delicious roasted chicken. I chose to use olive oil and all drumsticks and all parsley as the herb. I put one coarsely chopped onion into the roasting pan when the chicken went in, then after the first 15 min. I added 8 oz of sliced mushrooms and about 6 crushed garlic cloves. We LOVED that variation. Thank you for posting. Made for the Variety is the Spice of Life event.

LifeIsGood
Made this for 2013 Variety is the Spice of Life Game and this recipe sure proves that theory. It's simple to make and so easy to adjust to anyone's personal taste. I used chicken thighs and a spice mix of Rosemary, sage, oregano garlic and cilantro, then on the last 15 minutes of baking added the chopped scallions to the mix. The only thing I had trouble with was the chicken was sitting in the roasting and the drippings were pretty thick on the bottom so that the skins didn't brown and crisp up as much as I'd like. Next time I'll be sure and but the chicken on a rack of some sort so the grease drips down and the chicken is not sitting in it to roast. Flavors were great and I will be using this recipe again.

Bonnie G #2