What Julia Child Taught Me About Roasting a Chicken

For my 66th birthday, I decided to make Julia Child's Poulet Rôti from Mastering the Art of French Cooking. 

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Lately I've found myself reading more old cookbooks than new ones. Not because I'm interested in recreating the past, but because I'm curious how people thought about food before industrial agriculture became the norm. The more I read, the more I realize these books weren't simply collections of recipes. They were written with a completely different set of assumptions.

Julia Child assumed you could buy a good chicken.

That struck me more than anything else.

She spends pages teaching technique. She explains how to truss a chicken, how often to baste it, why she turns it several times during roasting, and how to make a simple pan sauce from the drippings. What she never talks about is how to find a chicken with great flavor.

I don't think she forgot.

I think she assumed you already had one.

That may be one of the biggest differences between 1961 and today.

My First Attempt

I had never trussed a chicken before.

So I watched Jacques Pépin demonstrate his method.  His approach is simple, fast, and easy to learn. I've embedded his video below because if you've never trussed a chicken before, I think it's the best demonstration you'll find.  (I also removed the wishbone as he suggested)

The rest of the preparation was straightforward.

Butter inside the cavity with fresh tarragon and parsley.

Butter on the skin.

Salt.

Pepper.

That's about it.

Julia's technique is much more hands-on than most modern roast chicken recipes. The bird starts breast-side up at 450°F, then gets turned onto one side after five minutes, then onto the other side for another five minutes, with frequent basting after each turn. After those first fifteen minutes, the oven is reduced to 350°F and the chicken continues roasting, still being basted every eight to ten minutes and turned one more time before finishing breast-side up.

It isn't difficult.

It simply asks you to stay involved.

My One Modification

Julia Child never suggested balancing the chicken upright with a pair of barbecue tongs.

I did.

When I turned the bird onto its side, I had a little trouble keeping it where I wanted it. I rigged it by slipping a pair of long grill tongs under the chicken to support it.

Problem solved.

Maybe Julia might have smiled.

One thing I've learned over the years is that good cooking isn't about following every instruction perfectly. It's about understanding what the recipe is trying to accomplish and adapting when necessary.

The Recipe   (Print Here)

Ingredients

• One Tyner Pond Farm whole pasture-raised chicken
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Several sprigs fresh tarragon
• Several sprigs fresh parsley

For basting:

• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil

For the pan sauce:

• 1 small carrot, sliced
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 shallot or green onion, minced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1–2 tablespoons softened butter

Method

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about an hour before roasting.

Season the cavity with salt and pepper, then place the butter, tarragon, and parsley inside. Truss the chicken and pat the outside completely dry before rubbing the skin with softened butter.

Scatter the sliced carrot and onion in a shallow roasting pan and place the chicken breast-side up on top.

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Roast for fifteen minutes total:

• Breast-side up for the first 5 minutes.
• Turn onto the left side for 5 minutes.
• Turn onto the right side for the final 5 minutes.

Baste quickly after each turn with the melted butter and oil.

Reduce the oven to 350°F.

Leave the chicken on its side and continue roasting, basting every eight to ten minutes with the pan juices.

Halfway through the remaining cooking time, lightly salt the bird and turn it onto the opposite side.

About fifteen minutes before it is finished, lightly salt again, turn the chicken breast-side up, and continue basting until done.

Julia's cues for doneness are wonderfully practical. She looks for a sudden increase in sizzling, a fuller breast, and a drumstick that moves freely in its socket. I still verified with an instant-read thermometer and removed the chicken when the thickest part of the thigh reached 165°F.

Allow the chicken to rest for 10–15 minutes before carving.

For the pan sauce, remove most of the fat from the roasting pan, leaving about two tablespoons. Cook the minced shallot briefly, add the chicken stock, scrape up the browned bits, and reduce by about half. Off the heat, swirl in the softened butter and spoon a little over the carved chicken before serving.

What I Learned

The recipe worked exactly as advertised.

The skin browned beautifully.

The frequent basting produced a wonderful color.

The meat stayed remarkably juicy.

The pan sauce was worth every extra minute.

But the biggest lesson wasn't about roasting.

It was about ingredients.

Reading Julia Child reminded me that for most of history, recipes assumed the cook had already solved the hardest part.

They had found good food.

If you're going to spend an afternoon making a special meal for your family, I think it's worth beginning with exceptional ingredients. A chicken raised on pasture, moved to fresh grass every day, and allowed to grow the way a chicken should doesn't need to be hidden behind complicated techniques.

In many ways, that's what Julia Child was teaching all along.

Technique matters.

But technique can't replace quality.

Great cooking begins with great ingredients.

And great ingredients begin with a place.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Poulet Rôti?

Poulet Rôti is the French term for roast chicken. Julia Child made it one of the signature recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, using a technique of frequent turning and basting to produce crisp skin and juicy meat.

Why did Julia Child turn the chicken while roasting?

Julia Child believed turning the chicken during the first part of cooking helped brown the bird more evenly and allowed the juices to continually baste different parts of the chicken. It's a more hands-on approach than many modern recipes, but it produces excellent results.

Do I really need to truss a chicken?

Trussing isn't absolutely necessary, but it helps the chicken cook more evenly by keeping the wings and legs close to the body. It also gives the finished bird a better shape for roasting and carving.

What is the easiest way to truss a chicken?

I found Jacques Pépin's method to be the easiest. Before making this recipe, I had never trussed a chicken. After watching his short demonstration, I was surprised how simple it was. I've included his video in this post because I think it's the best place to start.

How often should you baste a roast chicken?

Julia Child bastes frequently. During the first fifteen minutes she bastes after each turn. After reducing the oven temperature, she recommends basting every eight to ten minutes using the pan juices. Frequent basting helps develop an evenly browned, crisp skin.

Why use a pasture-raised chicken for this recipe?

This recipe depends on the quality of the chicken more than complicated seasoning. A pasture-raised chicken develops differently because it spends its life outdoors on fresh pasture, moving naturally and eating a varied diet. If you're investing the time to make a classic roast chicken, it's worth starting with an exceptional bird.

What temperature should a whole chicken reach before carving?

The thickest part of the thigh should reach 165°F. Julia Child relied on visual and physical cues, but an instant-read thermometer is an easy way to confirm the chicken is fully cooked while remaining juicy.

Can I skip turning the chicken?

You can, and many modern recipes do. However, turning the bird is one of the defining features of Julia Child's method. It requires a little more attention, but I found it helped produce beautifully browned skin.

Why did Julia Child assume people already had a good chicken?

When Mastering the Art of French Cooking was published in 1961, many home cooks had access to chickens that were raised very differently than today's industrial birds. One of the things that struck me while reading the recipe was that Julia spends pages teaching technique but never explains how to find a chicken with good flavor. She simply assumed you already had one.

What was your biggest takeaway from making Julia Child's roast chicken?

The recipe taught me more than how to roast a chicken. It reminded me that great cooking begins with great ingredients. Technique certainly matters, but it can't replace the quality of the food you're starting with. That's why I believe if you're going to make a special meal, it's worth beginning with a pasture-raised chicken that was raised with care.