Serves 4 to 6
Nothing is more satisfying than a classic roast
chicken, and this version, sauced with woodsy porcini mushrooms, rules
the roost.
- 1 whole
4-pound chicken
- 1 cup
porcini mushrooms
- 1/4
cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold
Preheat the
oven to 375 degrees F. Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.
Save the neck and gizzards, except for the liver. Salt and pepper the
chicken evenly and sprinkle salt and pepper in the cavity.
Soak the dried porcini in 2 cups of very hot water for 20 min. Drain them,
saving the soaking water. Saute the mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of the butter
for 3 to 4 minutes. Fill the cavity of the chicken with the sauteed mushrooms.
Truss the chicken and rub it with 1 tablespoon of butter. Place the chicken
in a heavy, shallow casserole and roast for 1 to 1 1/4 hours basting often.
Meanwhile, put the gizzards and neck in a small pot with 1/2 cup water
and the mushroom liquid, strained through a fine sieve. Bring to a boil,
lower the heat, and simmer 20 to 25 minutes until the liquid is reduced
to 1 1/4 cups. Pour the liquid through a strainer and discard the gizzards
and neck.
Remove chicken from the oven, untruss, and put on a platter. Scoop the
mushrooms out of the chicken and out them in a roasting pan with the reduced
mushroom juices. Reduce by one third. Add salt and pepper to taste and
whisk in 2 tablespoons cold butter until the sauce emulsifies. Cut the
chicken as desired and cover with the wild mushroom
sauce.
ADD-ONS:
Add 1/4 cup ruby port to the juices in the roasting pan while reducing.
 WINE
SUGGESTIONS
A velvety, easy-drinking merlot would be a lovely way to integrate the
flavors and body of this dish. If white is more your liking, now's a good
time to remember what great Burgundy is all about.
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