Sunday Paper Dinner Table: JW Chicken with Salsa Verde

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JW Chicken

This is the cornerstone of Barbuto. At last count, we have served about 350,000 orders of my chicken! It is a testament to the bird (a Lancaster County farm-raised bird from Bell & Evans), the oven designed by Nobile, and our customers, who “flock” to Barbuto to eat this chicken.

Of course, the cooking is the really important part of the puzzle. The method is simple: Cut the chicken in half and remove the backbone. Next, cut off the wings so that only the little drumstick is attached. Next, carefully carve out the breastplate. The next step is to rub with olive oil, and then sprinkle with salt and fresh black pepper. We do not brine the birds as others are wont to do.

Because the chicken has lost some weight in the butchering process, cooking time is vastly reduced, no more than half an hour.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 (31⁄2-pound/1.6 kg) free-range organic chicken (fresh not frozen)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salda Verde (see below)

• Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
• Remove the bird from the plastic wrap and discard any bag juice.
• Pat dry with paper towels.
• Place the chicken, breast side down, on a cutting board. Using poultry shears, cut along both sides of the backbone; remove and discard the backbone. Remove any fat (this can be added to a chicken stock). Using a heavy chef ’s knife, cut out the breastbone. Season the two halves with salt and pepper.
• Place the chicken halves, skin side up, in a roasting pan coated with oil and dab with more oil. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. If it is not browning well, turn it over after 15 minutes, and then right it for the last 5 minutes.
• When it is done, remove the chicken to a platter and pour off the excess fat. Let rest for at least 30 minutes.
• To serve, place the bird back in the oven for 5 to 8 minutes. Remove and cut the bird into serving pieces: Cut each breast in half and cut the thighs from the legs, serve with salsa verde.

Salsa Verde

Makes 3 cups 

Ingredients:

1⁄4 cup capers in salt

4 salt-cured anchovies, rinsed and deboned

3 cloves garlic

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1⁄2 cup chopped arugula

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh basil

1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1⁄4 cup chopped tarragon

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh chives

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh sage

1 cup extra- virgin olive oil

1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt

• Soak the capers in cold water for 1 hour, then drain.
• Soak the anchovies in cold water for 15 minutes, then pat dry.
• Using a mortar and pestle, smash together the capers, anchovies, and garlic until smooth, then transfer to a large bowl.
• Add all the herbs and oil.
• Season with salt. It should be chunky, not oily.

Excerpted from The Barbuto Cookbook: California-Italian Cooking from the Beloved West Village Restaurant. Copyright © 2020 by Jonathan Waxman. Used with permission of Abrams. All rights reserved.

This recipe was featured in the September 27, 2020 edition of The Sunday Paper. The Sunday Paper publishes News and Views that Rise Above the Noise and Inspires Hearts and Minds. To get The Sunday Paper delivered to your inbox each Sunday morning for free, click here to subscribe.