*Adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook by Judy Rodgers The original version of Judy’s roast chicken and bread salad recipe has a cult following for good reason. However, the recipe is five pages long and takes three days of planning and preparation. I have shortened Judy’s version a bit to make it more user friendly—because, honestly, I want it when I want it and usually don’t have three days’ patience—and because I really want you to make it. That being said, an entire day’s worth of dry-brining makes all the difference.
Ingredients
- 1 small chicken (2½ to 3½ pounds), preferably a fryer, lump of fat inside chicken discarded
- 4 tender sprigs fresh thyme, marjoram, rosemary or sage
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- ½–¾ pound day-old chewy country-style bread (not sourdough), cut into large chunks, crust removed
- 8 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dried currants
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons lightly salted chicken stock or lightly salted water
- 4 handfuls arugula, baby red mustard greens or frisee leaves
Preparation
Rinse chicken, pat very dry inside and out and put on a plate. Using your fingers, loosen skin from breast and thighs without tearing it and tuck an herb sprig into each of the 4 pockets. Liberally season chicken all over with ¾ teaspoon of salt per pound of chicken and the pepper. Loosely cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days.
Heat broiler with rack 6 inches from the heat. Put bread on a baking sheet and brush with 3 tablespoons of the oil. Broil until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Tear bread into 2- to 3-inch pieces and put into a large bowl.
Turn oven to 475°. Mix white wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons of the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Toss ¼ cup of the vinaigrette with the bread. Soak currants in red wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon warm water in small bowl.
Heat a 10-inch ovenproof skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Wipe chicken dry, put in skillet breast side up, and roast in oven for 30 minutes. Turn bird over and roast for 10–20 minutes more, then flip back over to re-crisp breast skin, 5–10 minutes more.
Meanwhile, warm pine nuts in oven for 1–2 minutes, then add to bread. Heat tablespoon of the oil in a small skillet and sweat the garlic and scallions over medium-low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add to bread and toss well. Drain currants and add to bread, then add stock or water and toss again. Put bread salad into a small baking dish and tent with foil. Transfer to oven when chicken gets its last turn.
Remove chicken from oven and turn off heat, leaving bread salad in oven for 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate. Pour off fat from skillet, leaving pan drippings behind. Swirl 1 tablespoon water in skillet. Slash skin between thighs and breast of chicken, then tilt bird and plate over skillet, draining juices into drippings. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes, then carve into 8 pieces.
Simmer pan drippings over medium heat, scraping up browned bits, for 1 minute. Toss the bread salad with a spoonful of pan drippings in a large bowl, add greens and remaining vinaigrette, and toss well. Put bread salad on a platter and arrange chicken on top, pouring extra pan drippings over the chicken.
