Zuni Chicken

A story on All Things Considered about how to prepare the "ultimate roast chicken" provided us with this extraordinary (and extraordinarily simple) recipe. As served by the Zuni Room in San Francisco, this chicken is quartered and arranged on a bed of greens. We've foregone that touch in favor of a more traditional presentation--carving.

We're very partial to sage as the herb of choice, but we encourage you to experiment with any appropriate alternative. Basil, marjoram, tarragon, thyme, and mint come most readily to mind; rosemary worked beautifully. Also consider using a whole garlic, roasted with some olive oil, and squeezed from its skin before mixing it with the herbs.

1. The night before, rinse the chicken and pat dry. Under the skin of each breast, insert half the sage leaves and one garlic clove (slightly mashed). Rub the cavity with the remaining garlic. Sprinkle with very generous quantities of the salt and slightly less generous quantities of the pepper.
   
   
2. Place the bird in a sealable container and refrigerate it overnight.
   
   
3. About an hour before meal time, preheat the oven to 450^o and pull the bird from the fridge. Again, rinse the chicken and pat dry. When the oven is ready, put the chicken, breast side down, in a roasting rack and pop it into the oven. Allow approximately 12 minutes per pound.
   
   
4. About 2/3's of the way through the cooking process, rotate the chicken into a backbone down position, to crisp the breast skin. When the chicken is done (the usual test is that the juices run clear), remove it from the oven and allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes before carving and serving.

4 servings