Shop That Rack-Roasted Chicken
The gear and ingredients used to make this recipe, with links to Carla's faves
It’s Rack-Roasted Chicken day. Here’s the recipe. Let’s get you set up and make Chicken Sunday a thing.
We’ll let you in on a little secret: you don’t need a roasting rack to perfectly cook your chicken. Once you have the list below added to cart—the ideal weeknight/Sunday night/every possible occasion dinner will be sitting on your table in no time. Minimal ingredients, minimal equipment, maximum flavor.
We want nothing to get in the way of you and this recipe, which is why we’ve assembled Everything You Need For Rack-Roasted Chicken with Gravy Potatoes.
Ingredients
Seasoning the bird
We’ve chatted seasoning preferences before, but during filming, Carla used a fresh bottle of Noble Sweet Paprika ($9.99 per 1.8-oz jar) from Burlap and Barrel. It’s super vibrant and adds beautiful color to the chicken. If you’re looking for other options locally, choose any Hungarian sweet paprika, or level up the heat with a Spanish pimentón de la vera.
Prepping the grates
You don’t *need* to prep your oven grates, but if you want to exercise an abundance of caution, spray a little PAM ($7.79 per bottle) before laying down the bird. This will ensure an easy lift-off when your chicken is finished roasting.
Useful Equipment
Chicken girdle
Tuck your wings, or—if you’re Team Crispy Wing—leave them untucked. The choice is entirely yours. Carla used to let the chicken legs splay, but Susie Theodorou, who food styled both of Carla’s books, was aghast. Tie those ankles together with a little cotton twine ($2.99), which gives the bird a nice round shape and promotes even cooking. Make sure to tilt the chicken so the juices pour into the pan of potatoes before carving.
Home-base for the bird
A rimmed quarter sheet tray has countless purposes in the kitchen, and here, Carla uses it to season her chicken—easier to clean than a cutting board, and the edges keep the spices from flying all over your counter. Later on, use a clean sheet to rest the chicken and collect its juices. Carla’s got a few Vollrath ($6), a restaurant supply workhorse.
Gravy-collecting pans
Carla uses a cast iron skillet to roast her chicken juice-showered potatoes, but a casserole dish, like Le Creuset’s Heritage Stoneware Oval Gratin ($54) or a stainless skillet will work well too. If you’re committed to a minimal equipment set-up, a rimmed baking sheet can work here, too.
Not a drop wasted
Don’t you dare lose any of those good drippings. Get yourself a Pyrex 2 Cup Measuring Cup ($6.99) and pour the gravy back over your roasted potatoes. Carla has every size and shape Kunz spoon; in the video she grabbed the small size for defatting the gravy and saucing the bird.
Poke test
When you poke your potato, your tester should glide through with no resistance. Carla loves her Gestura’s Noyau Cake Tester ($14), but Ateco’s cake tester ($.89) also gets the job done.
We have lift-off
Removing a finished, fragile bird from the oven rack is risky business. Make sure you have the right tool to excavate. OXO’s 9" Tongs With Nylon Heads ($13.99) is Carla’s choice pick.
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