This whole roasted chicken preparation is a hold over
from my days in East Hampton New York at The Red Horse
Market. We would simply roast a dozen or so and by early
morning beach crowd had secured dinner for that night.
The chicken when roasted whole stays wonderfully moist
while yielding a deliciously crispy skin.
Yield: One 2-3 lb. Chicken serves 4 people
Special tools: Instant read thermometer, poultry
sheers (see Tools section in Before you begin)
Ingredients:
1 2-3 lb. Whole chicken
½ c. olive oil
salt and pepper
Glaze:
1 qt. balsamic vinegar
8 oz. soy sauce
4 oz. honey
2 oz. sesame oil
2 T. sesame seeds
4 T. corn starch
4 T. water
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rinse chicken in cold running water. Pat dry with paper
towels and remove the excess fat while keeping the skin
in tact. Rub the chicken with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Season both the outer surface and the inner cavity of
the chicken. Place in a roasting pan in the oven and cook
until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches
165 degrees. Depending on the size of this chicken and
the power of your oven this could take one hour.
While the chicken is cooking, place balsamic vinegar
and soy sauce in a 2 quart saucepot. Bring to a boil and
reduce heat to simmer. Let cook so that the volume reduces
by 1/3. Add honey, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Cook
for 3 more minutes. Mix together corn starch and water
in a separate bowl. This mixture, known as "slurry"
should be the consistency of cream; if not, add more water
or corn starch as necessary. Using a wire whisk to stir
simmering liquid, drizzle in corn starch mixture.. Cook
for 2 more minutes and remove from heat.
Remove chicken from the oven and drain the fat drippings
from the roasting pan. Brush the entire surface of the
chicken with the balsamic soy glaze. Place back in the
oven for 5 minutes. Brush surface of chicken with glaze
once more before serving. If there is any glaze leftover,
store in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Serving suggestion: Presentation is everything.
Remember you eat with your eyes first. Present the whole
glistening sizzling chicken first. Then remove from the
table and gently quarter the chicken You will need a good
pair of poultry shears.
