Ambrosial Whole Chicken with Sumac and Thyme
Photographed by Claire Matern for Local Roots
Everyone should know how to roast a chicken. With a few tricks, you can have a flavorful chicken dinner and save the leftovers for sandwiches. Don’t throw away the bones! You can use those to make a broth, too.
You can switch the olive oil for butter. My friend Claire Matern puts a whole lemon in the carcass, while I opt for a whole head of garlic. You can do both if you want to get crazy.
Whole Roasted Chicken with Sumac and Thyme
Serves 4
Check the inner cavity of the chicken for giblets or the neck. Save for making broth another time.
Pat the chicken dry on all sides with a paper towel.
Rub a bit of the olive oil on your hands and shimmy your fingers under the skin over the breast, still keeping the skin attached around the edges.
Drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the outside of the chicken and rub it on every part.
Sprinkle the salt, sumac, and thyme leave evenly over the bird.
Stuff the garlic head into the cavity of the chicken.
For crispy skin, let the chicken dry uncovered on a sheet pan in the fridge overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Roast the chicken on the middle rack for an hour, check the temperature. Continue to cook for up to another 30 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F at the thickest part.
Crank on the boiler and brown the skin for 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to let it burn.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Pull the roasted garlic out of the chicken. Remove the skins and mash up the cloves with the pan juices. If there isn’t enough juice, add 1/4 cup broth or water. Scrape up the bits from the pan to mix it in.
Collect the pan juices and pour over the chicken when serving. Finish with a shower of sesame seeds.