Comments on: zuni cafe’s roasted chicken + bread salad

By: Kaitlin

Kaitlin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:47:42 +0000

I can’t decide if I’m more excited about the bread salad or about the chicken.

By: Val

Val — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:26:26 +0000

To commenter #186 Gryphonisle: Huh? Who moved your cheese?!?!

By: deb

deb — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:54:50 +0000

I think you could definitely do multiple birds at a time, though it’s best if you can fit them side-to-side on one rack. I find that stacking things messes with circulation/browning, or at least it does in my dinky oven.

By: Maryam

Maryam — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 21:56:43 +0000

Deb – I’m so excited to use this recipe for a dinner party on Sunday! Thanks for sharing it.

Do you have any advice how to go about doubling the recipe? Could I do two birds in the oven at once or will I have to go one-after-the-other?

Thanks for any insights and advice you can offer!

By: openhearth

openhearth — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:36:19 +0000

This is a winner, but I have to say my favorite whole-roasted-chicken is still the high roast butterflied chicken from Cooks Illustrated. You do cut the backbone out to butterfly it, so maybe it’s not quite in the same category, but it’s roasted on a broiling pan with thinly sliced potatoes layered in the bottom of the pan, so all of the drippings carmelize to form deliciously crispy potato sidedish!

By: melissa

melissa — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:36:44 +0000

i’ve lived in san francisco for more than 15 years but haven’t made it to zuni yet. i did just try the zuni chicken recipe, though, after trying the bouchon dry-brine method in a couple incarnations. the zuni wins, hands down–it was the best roast chicken i’ve ever made, and i’ve made quite a few! i used a 3-pound free-range bird in a 10-inch nonstick skillet and followed the recipe to a T, with the sole exception of sliding thin slices of garlic under the skin along with the herbs and throwing a couple garlic cloves in the cavity (i like the meat to have a little more flavor). it was done to perfection in under 45 minutes. i haven’t made the bread salad yet, but it’s only a matter of time… ps i’ve used the dry-brining method with kosher birds, and they come out fine–just a little saltier than regular birds, with a slightly different texture.

By: Charlie

Charlie — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:00:55 +0000

I was a Zuni customer before they even had an oven. They would set a Weber kettle outside the back door at lunch. It was great watching them grow and take over the next several storefronts over time. But when it comes to this dish my five year old son Noah, said it best – “I tasted the skin and I almost turned into music.”

By: LeA

LeA — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:24:21 +0000

I’m late to this party but i just made the roast chicken and it was cooked perfectly all the way around! the breast was tender, and juicy and not dry and sad. It was also perfect flavored (altho the day before it felt like i was using a LOT of salt). I made the dijon sauce from your other roast chicken recipe and it was a great addition, thanks!

By: Shane

Shane — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:31:38 +0000

This is a fantastic recipe but I just want to point out again that the salt quantity is wrong. It should be 3/4 teaspoon salt *per pound*.

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:21:52 +0000

PLEASE HELP!!!! I am living in Malawi and decided to do roast chicken for Thanksgiving since I can’t get a turkey. Unfortunately, my friend who got the local chickens for me cut them in HALF after cleaning/plucking them. Can I still roast them? If not, what should I do? Oh please oh please, help! I am desperate! Thank you, thank you, thank you!