Roast Chicken With French Fries
Roast Chicken With French Fries
"Poulet frites!" I'd yell every time we went to a restaurant. My parents would look at the menu, discuss the different possibilities, and then decide to be adventuresome. I, on the other hand, always knew exactly what I wanted — delicious crisp chicken and a heaping mound of thin french fries, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, served with the rich, creamy mayonnaise that tasted nothing like home.
— Sara Remington
Click here to see 101 Ways to Cook Chicken
Servings
4
Ingredients
- one 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into quarters
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed lightly
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 -1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 large russet or kennebec potatoes
- canola oil or other vegetable oil, for deep-frying
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Rub the chicken quarters all over with the garlic. Place the pieces, skin side up, on a baking sheet. Rub them all over with the olive oil followed by the salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, then using a butter knife, spread 1 tablespoon of the butter over the tops of the chicken pieces.
- Continue to cook, basting once more with the remaining butter. Cook the chicken until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, prepare the french fries. Peel the potatoes and trim them to make a rectangular block. Cut the potatoes evenly into batons or sticks ¼-inch wide by ¼-inch thick. Place in cold water and continue to change the water until it is clear. Dry the potatoes completely with a towel.
- Fill a deep-fryer to the fill line with oil, or a Dutch oven fitted with a candy thermometer 1/3 full. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 325 degrees. Line a platter with paper towels.
- Add the potatoes, only a few handfuls at a time, being sure not to overcrowd them. Increase the heat to medium-high and fry until the potatoes have formed a skin and are faintly golden, 6-7 minutes. Remove to the platter to drain. Repeat until all are cooked. Let rest for 15 minutes to 2 hours before the second frying. Reserve the frying oil.
- When ready to serve, heat the oil again to 350 degrees. Fry the potatoes in handfuls as before until they turn a warm golden brown, about 5 minutes. Season with the salt.