"Talk to most chefs and they'll say they'd want a perfectly roasted chicken for their last meal," says Sean Brock. For his definitive version, Brock starts with superflavorful heritage-breed chickens, but the key to the dish is prepoaching the bird in an immersion circulator. Because most home cooks don't have access to this equipment, we adapted the recipe to work in a home kitchen.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 2-4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon chives, and next 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Divide marinade between 2 (gallon-size) resealable plastic freezer bags. Season chicken with 2 1/2 teaspoons salt; place 1 chicken half in each bag. Seal bags, releasing excess air. Chill overnight.
Step 2
Place bags side by side in a large pot. Add cold water to cover by 2". Heat water over medium heat until an instant-read thermometer registers 150°F. Turn off heat, cover, and poach chicken for 50 minutes. Transfer bags to a large bowl of ice water to cool, about 15 minutes. Remove chicken from bags; pat dry.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add chicken halves, skin side down, so chicken sits against sides of pan. Cook, moving chicken occasionally for even cooking, until skin is browned all over. Flip chicken and transfer skillet to oven. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F, about 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Step 4
To serve, divide Farro with Acorn Squash and Kale among plates. Place chicken on top of farro. Drizzle 1/4 cup Herb Pistou around farro. Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil over each plate. Squeeze lemon halves over chicken. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons chives over.
Recipe notes
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