Spring Chicken Recipe

By
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker
Lucy Baker is a food writer, publisher, and author of two cookbooks: The Boozy Baker: 75 Recipes for Spirited Sweets and Edible DIY: Simple, Giftable Recipes to Savor and Share. In addition to her columns on Serious Eats, she has written for The Journal News, Westchester Magazine, and her blog, Turnip the Oven.
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Updated August 09, 2018

I have never understood why many people are afraid of cooking fish. What's so hard about searing a little salmon? It's chicken, specifically roasting a whole one, that I find much more intimidating. Sure I've done it, but the occasion always fills me with anxiety. Should I butterfly it or stuff the cavity with onions? Set the oven at 425°F or 475°F? And just how do I know when it's done? I don't want to serve a desiccated bird, but on the other hand, few things are scarier than cutting into a bite of breast that is still cold and pink inside. (Just thinking about it makes me want to run for the anti-bacterial hand wash.)

But since reviewing these magazine recipes was, in part, an experiment designed to make me a better cook, I decided that it was high time I practiced my poultry skills. This week I prepared the ginger-roasted chicken from the April issue of Food & Wine.

The recipe appealed to me because it was both simple and exotic. Sure, classic lemon-and-rosemary roast chicken is delicious, but it's hardly something to write home about. I wanted to make something with bright, tangy flavors for spring. The combination of fresh ginger, lime, and serrano chiles sounded perfect.

After a little bit of elbow grease (seasoning between the meat and skin), a minor burn (note to self: do not rub eye after seeding a hot pepper), and two phone calls home to my mother (I can't get the wings to stay tucked under!), my chicken came out of the oven crispy, fragrant, and perfectly done. The meat was intensely flavored with garlic and ginger, and the jus, doused with a little bit of Asian fish sauce at the end, added lovely notes of salt, citrus, and heat.

The meal was such a success it got me thinking ahead to a perfect variation for summer, and beyond. A chicken for all seasons!

Recipe Details

Spring Chicken Recipe

Prep 10 mins
Cook 80 mins
Total 90 mins
Serves 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

  • 5 garlic cloves, 1 minced

  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger, plus 12 slices ginger

  • Salt and fresh black pepper

  • One 4-pound chicken

  • 1 onion, quartered

  • 2 serrano chiles, seeded and thinly sliced

  • 1 lime, quartered

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock

  • 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Set rack in the lower third of the oven. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, minced garlic, and grated ginger.

  2. Pat the chicken dry. Rub half of the butter under the skin and half over it. Season the bird liberally with salt and pepper.

  3. Place the chicken breast-side-up on a rack in a roasting pan. Scatter the onion, garlic cloves, ginger slices, chiles, and lime around the bird and add 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Roast for 30 minutes, until the breast is beginning to brown in spots. Turn the chicken over and roast for 20 minutes.

  4. Turn the chicken breast-side-up again, and add another 1/2 cup of water to the pan. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until done.

  5. Tilt the chicken and drain the juices into the pan. Remove the bird to a serving platter. Remove the rack from the pan and spoon off as much of the fat as possible. Place the pan on the stovetop over high heat. Add the chicken stock and cook, scraping up the browned bits. Stir in the Asian fish sauce.

  6. Serve the chicken, passing the sauce on the side.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
530Calories
39gFat
2gCarbs
40gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories530
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 39g50%
Saturated Fat 12g62%
Cholesterol 207mg69%
Sodium 1470mg64%
Total Carbohydrate 2g1%
Dietary Fiber 0g1%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 40g
Vitamin C 9mg43%
Calcium 31mg2%
Iron 3mg18%
Potassium 498mg11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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