Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux

French Friday for Dorie

Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux

I was paging through “Around My French Table” with my husband and giving him French lessons. I only know the food words so when I do go to Paris as long as I stay in restaurants I’m ok. Anyway, I was telling him that “les paresseux” meant “lazy people”. When I then told him that for our Sunday dinner I would be making Dorie Greenspan’s Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux he dryly muttered that that true les paresseux would just go to Costco and buy one of those already roasted birds. So smart the man I married, right?

I won’t castigate those who go for those poor birds that sit there in the market deli cases for hours covered in their salty flavorings. They can be quite good and I do think Costco does them the best. We all ‘go there’ from time to time. Too damn convenient. But after reading this month’s FFWD assignment and then cooking the bird I somewhat wondered why most modern cooks seem to have plainly lost the ability to roast a chicken? Its one of the most basic cooking skills there is and also one of the most rewarding — yet it is becoming a thing of the past. This exercise served to remind me that while it might be easy to pick one up at the market, it will never compare to anything like this.

Roast Chicken for Les ParesseuxRoast Chicken for Les Paresseux
Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux

And this was just the ‘lazy’ version. There are probably as many roast chicken recipes as there are kitchen cooks in the world. There are many benefits to roasting your own that you can’t get with either the supermarket roasted or package of chicken parts. You can get a bigger bird that will either feed more or last you longer, making it a much more economical endeavor in the long run. Additionally, there are those pan juices and sauces you can make from! Just try that with that pair of boneless breast of chicken halves! Practically priceless is the incredible smell that takes over the whole house as the chicken roasts. And the carcass! Once picked over you can make your own velvety chicken stock that will far outweighs anything you can buy. (Just ask The Ina. Don’t you get a kick out of how each time she calls for chicken stock in a soup or stew she has to tell us yet again how much better home make is than canned. We know already!)

Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux

Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux

This particular recipe calls for resting the bird on slices of bread in the bottom of a dutch oven. As the bird cooks, the fat drips into the bread, then gets crisp. She recommended mashing then spreading the cooked livers over this crispy goodness. I mashed the liver with one of the softened garlics from inside the bird and I have to tell you that this tasty treat alone is worth never picking up a preroasted bird from Costco ever again. Seriously. It was that good and this bonus treat alone might be enough to displace what had been my ‘go to’ recipe for roast chicken ever since Ms. Fig taught me her infamous Beer Can Up The Butt Chicken.

Roast Chicken for Les Paresseux

And unless the French eat their roasted chicken right out of the roasting pan and use paper plates I don’t see what is so lazy about this endeavor!

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About Trevor Kensey

I don't know what “Sis. Boom. [blog!]" means either. But, if a post makes even a small 'boom' in your day, I would be happy. Please don't call me a "foodie", or even a food blogger. I prefer "food raconteur" thank you very much.
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  1. Your last photo tells it all – I love it! Your chicken looks so good. I am really looking forward to making this recipe.

  2. Oh my gosh! I love your photos, especially the one with all the empty and dirty dishes! It made me laugh. I’m excited to try this recipe as I’ve never roasted a chicken before.

  3. HAAAAAA What a funny post. I can’t wait for that scrumpcious piece of bread at the end. My mouth is watering. Looks better than a rellet with the liver idea. Brilliant! I’m also glad I didn’t have to do your dishes. Great pictures. Having everyone post this way makes it hard to know which dish I wqant to do next. Love the post Trevor as usual. B

  4. Mmmm, can’t wait to try this one!! 🙂 Love your photos!

  5. You’ve made this look so good. I can’t wait to try it! Nice post.

  6. Your chicken looks perfect! I may have to make that for next week. You have some yummy recipes I need to check out. Happy I found you through FFwD:)
    Lora

  7. I want the platter. I can wash it, don’t worry. What a mess! Sheesh… but it’s a very tidy mess, even you will have to admit. I am SO looking forward to doing this – Dorie’s version is so slightly different and intriguing (that bread). What a delightful meal – and post – bravo!

  8. Your dinner looks great and I truly enjoyed your post!

  9. That bird sure looks tasty! I’m one of those les paresseux, so this may be the perfect recipe for me. (I loved your last sentiment about the dishes.)Can’t wait to try it!

  10. I guess this chicken is the next recipe I’ll try! I loved the flans, and they were easy (could we hope that all the dishes for November are going to be for “les paressaux?”:), but you got me intrigued with that bread and liver.
    I agree with you on roasting chicken – it is such an easy meal to learn how to do well, that I intend to teach my 11 and 12 year olds how to do it, he, he.
    Thanks for visiting my blog:)

  11. I am a secret roast chicken from Costco girl too sometimes…I can’t spend all day in the kitchen. I think even Ina and Dorie would approve of that. I know what you mean about the homemade chicken stock…SO much work…delicious, but So much work. I am going to (shh….) turkey stock when I pick up my turkey so when I cook it and make leftovers, I can make soup that is good for the lazy too :).

  12. I haven’t made this yet, can’t wait to try it but no chicken liver. Super post and photos! I hope it wasn’t you who had to do the dishes though, that just won’t be right! 😉

  13. Every so often, I forward a recipe to the paressaux that I raised. I can see them making this one and enjoying it, although they are onto Costo.

  14. That first photo is so wonderful! What a beautiful supper setting. (And I agree with you … Ina can stop telling us that homemade is best!)

  15. Oh! And I’ll use three slices next time, too. I only used two this time!

  16. I love the comment that if you were truly lazy you’d just buy a chicken from CostCo! However there is nothing like roasting your own, for all the wonderful reasons you mentioned. Great post!

  17. It is a perfectly acceptable ALTERNATIVE to the can up the butt chicken. But seriously, I think all roasted chicken is lazy food–but in an absolutely good way.

  18. Looks so comforting and delicious. I think I might do this one this week! Can’t wait.

  19. Ha ha, ur rite , der is nothing lazy about it and love ur cutee take on that one:-)
    Love how ur bread crisp’d nicely!!
    Mine didn but i guess thats coz i used the wine so had lods of liquid that made a fantastic sauce!!

    urs looks so well and beautifully baked!!

  20. Your Roast Chicken for “the lazy ones” looks so delectable! You’re not only a master in your kitchen but quite the photographer too!
    Hopefully, everyone did clean-up EXCEPT the Chef. I always look forward to your post and your humor.

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