Roast Chicken with Radicchio, Currant, and Hazelnut Salad
- One 6-to 6½-pound chicken
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons finely minced shallots
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 heads radicchio, cored and torn into bite-size pieces
- ½ cup (2 ounces) hazelnuts, toasted, skinned, and
- coarsely chopped
- 1/3 cup dried currants
Instructions:
The perfect roast chicken has crisp, golden brown skin, juicy flesh, and, in my opinion, very few auxiliary flavors to detract from the chicken itself.
- Pull the pads of yellow fat from either side of the tail of the chicken. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Let stand at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, coarsely chop the fat and place in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and only crisp cracklings remain in the pan, about 20 minutes. Strain into a small bowl, discarding the cracklings, and cool the fat. You should have 2 to 3 tablespoons of rendered fat.
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 425°F. Rub the fat all over the chicken. Season the chicken inside and out with the salt and pepper. Place the chicken on its side on a wire rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 20 minutes. Inserting a wooden spoon in the body cavity, turn the chicken on its other side and roast for 20 minutes more. Turn the chicken breast side up and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, without touching a bone, reads 170°F, about 1 hour longer. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let stand for 20 minutes before carving. Remove the rack from the pan.
- Pour the drippings from the pan into a small glass bowl and let stand for 3 minutes. Skim off and discard the clear yellow fat and reserve the brown pan juices. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan and heat over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar and then the remaining ½ cup olive oil. Whisk until well combined, scraping up the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat.
- Combine the radicchio, hazelnuts, and currants in a large bowl. Add the warm dressing and toss. Season the salad with salt and pepper. Transfer the salad to a large platter.
- Carve the chicken. Arrange the chicken over the radicchio salad, and season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Serve at once.