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Principles of Roasting - Perfect Roast Chicken

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  • Difficulty: moderate
  • Video Length: 20:05
  • Course: Technique II: Grill and Roast WTF?

The right pan is essential to good roasting. You need a strong and sturdy pan, large enough for the meat to fit in comfortable and to allow enough room for the hot air to circulate evenly. For roasting, choose a moist piece of meat (save the tougher cuts for braising and boiling). Consider rib roasts, pork or beef loins or whole chickens. Make sure your meat sits at room temperature for about 30 minutes. For chicken, use a roasting pan on a rack - otherwise, if the chicken makes direct contact with the pan, it will steam instead of roast. With a rack, you'll get a good, crispy bird. Season your meat (or stuff it if it's a bird) and wrap with kitchen twine to keep it all together. Place in a hot oven and then turn it down to a lower temp (from 500 to 350, for instance) for full roasting. This helps make a crust to lock in juices. When testing for done-ness, remember that a large cut of meat may continue to cook for ten minutes after you remove it from the oven. Let the meat rest before serving so the juices can soak in thoroughly. And of course, remember to save the pan juices to make a delicious sauce.

Spike Mendelsohn (Season 4)

Spike works as the chef de cuisine at Tribeca's new hotspot restaurant, Mai House, owned by the renowned restaurateur Drew Nieporent. Mai House was named as one of the New York Times' top ten best new restaurants of 2007. Born in Montreal, Canada and trained in classic French cuisine in restaurants around the world. Spike has worked with Gerard Boyer at Les Crayeres, Thomas Keller at Bouchon and The Maccioni Family at Le Cirque. Spike believes in learning the basics to become the best. His latest venture is opening a new chain, Good Stuff Eatery, with his family (first location opening in Washington D.C. later this year) The new restaurant features his weaknesses -- hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and milkshakes.