French roast chicken is up there with Zuni Cafe roast chicken with bread salad and Marcella’s chicken with lemons. I tried to recreate it at home for years. I had pretty much given up. Then I tried the French roast chicken from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles cookbook (he was a chef before he became, well, before he became Anthony Bourdain). Wasn’t even looking for the brown sauce and there it was. Revelation. Rich, complex, delicious. Lemon, onion, rosemary, white wine – all there and beautifully balanced. If you are looking for a signature roast chicken this one is a good candidate. I’ve modified the recipe a bit but credit still goes to Les Halles. If you’ve made the super concentrated chicken stock – this is a good place to use some.
