French Roast Chicken (Poulet Rôti) with Truffle Oil
A gourmet French-style whole roast chicken seasoned with truffle oil. Chicken is brined before roasting, giving the perfectly cooked chicken - crispy on the outside, moist and succulent inside.
Ingredients
- 1 Whole Chicken (1.5 - 2 kg)
For Brining
- 2 L Cold Water
- 3 tbsp Salt (refer to notes)
- 2 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Black Peppercorns
- 2 nos. Lemons , quartered
- 6 nos. Garlic Cloves , minced
- 6 sprigs Thyme
- 1 sprig Rosemary
For Roasting
- 1½ tsp Sugar
- 1½ tbsp Butter , melted
- 1½ tbsp Truffle Oil
- 1 tbsp White wine vinegar
- Few springs of thyme to stuff in cavity of chicken
- 1 cup Low-sodium Chicken stock / Dry White Wine / Cognac
- Carrots & Onions to keep chicken elevated in roasting pan (if you don't have a rack)
Instructions
Brining
- Mix 500mL of water with brine ingredients in a large pot (big enough to submerge a whole chicken).
- Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve salt. Boil for 2 mins and remove from heat.
- Pour in the remaining cold water, and leave to cool completely. (I chill the brine solution in the fridge.)
- Once the brine solution has cooled completely, submerge chicken in it, ensuring the breast and legs are on the underside. (It is alright if the chicken is not fully submerged as long as the breast is in contact with the solution. This is what will keep it moist when roasted later.)
- Cover and refrigerate for 8 - 24 hrs.
Roasting
- Preheat oven to 430°F.
- In a small bowl, mix together sugar, melted butter, truffle oil, and white wine vinegar. Keep aside.
- Remove chicken from the brine solution and pat dry with paper towels.
- Loosen skin on the breast with a dessert spoon. Pour in the truffle oil mixture underneath the skin, and spread it by rubbing over the skin with the spoon.
- Coat the chicken with the remaining truffle oil mixture using a basting brush. Or pour the truffle oil mixture over the chicken and spread evenly.
- Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, or elevate the chicken using carrots or onion placed in the roasting pan.
- Stuff the chicken cavity with a few sprigs of thyme. Tuck wings under the sides of the chicken and tie the legs together with a string.
- Pour 1 cup of low sodium chicken stock / dry white wine / Cognac into the roasting pan.
- Turn down the heat of oven to 350°F and roast the chicken for approximately 1 hour or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken thigh reads 165°F.
- If you'd like the skin to be crispier or more brown, broil for another 3 - 5 minutes. (I don't always broil.)
- Remove from oven and let the chicken rest for 10 - 15 minutes before carving. Serve with pan drippings.
Video
Notes
- Salt: The quantity in the recipe card is for using table salt. If using large grained salt, you'll have to increase the quantity - Substitute 3 tbsp of table salt with approximately 5 tbsp of larger grained salt.
- Using Frozen Chicken: You can partially thaw the frozen chicken and then put in the brine. The thawing will finish while it brines.
- Be sure to completely chill the brine before submerging the chicken. Otherwise, bacteria may grow and this can cause a health hazard.
- Brining Time: The more time you brine, the better. But, don't brine the chicken for more than 24 hours, it will get too salty.
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