Bistro Chicken

by Jean Kressy

In the summer of 1987, late in the afternoon before opening day of Hamersley’s Bistro, in Boston’s South End, Gordon Hamersley was still up in the air about his menu. He knew roast chicken in one form or another belonged on a bistro menu but had trouble coming up with a recipe. He tried herb butters and bacon wraps, but nothing seemed to work.

Finally, Hamersley and his sous chef had an idea. They made a parsley paste, rubbed it on the birds and set them aside to marinate overnight. The next day, they broiled the chicken until the skin was crisp and brown so that when it arrived at the table, the herby paste was transformed into a delectable crust.

Two months after Hamersley’s Bistro opened, a restaurant critic ordered the Roast Chicken with Garlic, Lemon and Parsley and was so carried away he telephoned Hamersley to prepare him for the response to his rave review. “Go and buy more chickens,” he told Hamersley. The rest, as they say, is history.

Over the last 20 years, Hamersley figures he’s served more than 280,000 roast chickens. Some customers order it every time they eat at the restaurant. Occasionally Hamersley talks about taking it off the menu, but whenever he does, people complain. “All hell breaks loose,” he says.

Roast Chicken with Garlic, Lemon and Parsley

Printer Friendly Version

Do you like to print recipes and add them to your collection? You're in luck. Use our printer friendly version of this recipe.

add to my recipe box

Find more recipes with:
chicken , garlic , lemon , parsley , coarsely

At Hamersley's Bistro in Boston, this chicken is served with roasted potates and onions. The marinade is more like a wet rub.

Ingredients

Marinade:
1 cup flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves
2 shallots
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbes de Provence
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Chicken:
1 (3-pound) chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 head garlic (unpeeled)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. To prepare marinade, combine all ingredients in a food processor; process to a paste.
2. To prepare chicken, coat chicken with marinade. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Season chicken with salt and pepper; place on rack in roasting pan. Wrap garlic in foil and place alongside chicken. Roast 1 1/2 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 170F. Remove from oven and let rest 20 minutes.
5. Reserve pan juices in the roasting pan. Add broth and lemon juice. Squeeze roasted garlic cloves into broth mixture. Whisk, stirring to loose brown bits, and simmer until slightly thickened. Serve with chicken. Serves 4.

Relish a classic Dish, October 2008. Recipe adapted from Bistro Cooking at Home by Gordon Hamersley (Broadway Books, 2003).

Nutritional Information

Per serving: 330 calories, 19g fat, 95mg chol., 34g prot., 4g carbs., 1g fiber, 550mg sodium

By Jean Kressy, a food writer in Ashburnham, Mass.