Hammersley's Roasted Lemon Chicken

[QSis]

After hearing and reading raves for years about this chicken in a Boston restaurant (Hamersley's Bistro), I found a recipe for it and made it. I couldn't believe a whole roasted chicken could be so great that people ordered IT over most everything else!

Anyway, I made it tonight and it's fabulous! The lemon flavor is throughout, and the simple lemony sauce is spectacular (I added a teaspoon of Wondra to thicken it).

If you like a lot of potatoes, add more. I just had half of one and some steamed asparagus, with that great lemony gravy over all.

I used an oven-stuffer roaster, a 6 pounder, so it took almost double the time.

I'm debating tossing a few cloves of garlic into the cavity next time. I dunno, this was really perfect!

Scott's Kitchen: Hamersley's Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Onions

Lee

[kitchenelf]

Sounds great! I've made lemon chicken before but I really like the Dijon in this recipe. I am really looking forward to trying it. Thanks for posting the link.

[karenlyn]

This sounds great! I have a recipe for greek lemon chicken I make occasionally, but it's so work intensive that I don't make it nearly as often as DH (who loves it) would like. This sounds equally delicious, but a heck of a lot easier. Thanks for the recipe!

[suziquzie]

I am on a chicken-roasting kick lately.... about 1 a week, sometimes 2.
This is next up! Thanks!!!

[jennyema]

I've had it at Hamersley's and it's indeed very good, but could not recreate it closely at all at home. I'm not sure Gordon is giving away all his secrets.

[ChefJune]

You have probably read me saying somewhere before that I have never eaten anything else at Hamersley's. Every time I've ever been there, I succumb to the Roast Chicken.

I will be making it Sunday as part of my Roast Chicken Thesis Tasting dinner. (there will be two other preps of Roast Chicken.

I LOVE Roast Chicken. really looking forward to Sunday!

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by ChefJune

You have probably read me saying somewhere before that I have never eaten anything else at Hamersley's. Every time I've ever been there, I succumb to the Roast Chicken.

I will be making it Sunday as part of my Roast Chicken Thesis Tasting dinner. (there will be two other preps of Roast Chicken.

I LOVE Roast Chicken. really looking forward to Sunday!

I haven't had this recipe but have made a Hammersley roast chicken dish he made on Julia Child's Cooking With Master Chefs TV show. That's a very tasty dish.

[QSis]

Hey, jenny, June, Andy, and anyone else who is familiar with this dish, please feel free to chime in and suggest changes that will approximate the restaurant dish.

I've never had it, so had nothing to compare this recipe to. But I loved it!

Lee

[jennyema]

After having it a few times, I usually order something else when I go there these days but the chicken is outstanding and the most popular thing on the menu.

But IMO I doubt that recipe as written could generate such a superb result. It seems pretty ordinary -- one that any of us here could have written and probably make just out of their heads all the time.

So ... I suspect there's more to it. There are a few different recipes for this dish out there and I suspect that this one may be closer to what he actually does. It's the one I tried.

Also:

I bet he buys very good chicken for one -- that usually makes a world of difference in any chicken dish. So I'd recommend not using Perdue or anything like that.

I bet he brines his chicken, too, but am not sure.

He almost certainly marinates it in the mustard mixture and doesn't just coat it and roast.

There are other things, technique-wise that a chef in a professional kitchen would do (more like the other recipe I posted) that contribute to making his chicken such a hit.

He's almost always there cooking himself and the kitchen is open, somaybe I'll saunter over there some time and ask him!

GOOD LUCK!!

You can never go wrong with roast chicken any way you make it, in my book at least.

[ChefJune]

Originally Posted by QSis

Hey, jenny, June, Andy, and anyone else who is familiar with this dish, please feel free to chime in and suggest changes that will approximate the restaurant dish.

I've never had it, so had nothing to compare this recipe to. But I loved it!

Lee

Lee, the recipe that is in Julia's Cooking with Master Chefs is Gordon's exact recipe, translated for the home kitchen. SOOOO good!