My Cold Start Method For a Perfect Roast Chicken: (so far everyone is raving about it)

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

Take this to the next level by using a top quality chicken, stuff the chicken with herbs, rice or a stuffing of your choice, and truss if necessary. This is all about the cooking method 😀( side note : by joining my Patreon page you will get access to the video recipe add free before it lands on KZbin)

[@brianfraneysr.5326]

That’s how my Mother cooked. Very simply. I’m an old man now, and my parents have long since passed, but I still make meals the way my Mother did. Thanks for making a real life cooking video.

[@ahmedbelal7751]

Same

[@lol8090]

DELICIOUS!!!!! The French are gastronomical GENIUSES! Thank you so much. This is a gift to learn all these things from you, a master of his craft. God bless you and your loved ones and family always.

[@pennybrashears9676]

This is the method I always use when roasting a chicken. It never fails! You can add white wine to the chicken juices, reduce, add a something to thicken it , maybe finish with a pat of butter, and you have a wonderful gravy.

[@axiomist4488]

Sounds delicious !!!

[@pamelab7235]

I made this for dinner tonight and it could not have been more perfect. I added a little sage to the inner cavity. My first temperature was 425F because I dont have a convection oven for the first 40 minutes then reduced it to 400F for the remaining 30 minutes. The skin was perfectly crisp.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

great to hear it works well with a conventional oven 👍 thanks for the feedback

[@kamdinek.3459]

Tried so, so, soooo many chicken recipes. I bought kitchen shears to spatchcock the chicken, tried my mom's recipe (hers always comes out perfect). Having nothing to lose, I tried this method.... OMG. Best chicken ever. Thank you, merci !!!

[@JudiChristopher]

"Bravo Darling... Bravo" This is the way I have cooking Chicken for 50 years. Thank you fo sharing this great video.

[@niamhfox9559]

As a teenager my sister and I used to cook chicken exactly like this (maybe minus the butter i think), just like Nana showed us. It's been a long time but it always turned out amazing, such a simple method.

[@cecilia12h]

This might have been the best way to roast a chicken that I have ever tried (and I did have another favourite recipe before)!! Merci Stéphane, comme tu as dit, super simple à préparer, et quelle délice !!! 😊 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@bopuc]

"Fan forced" is also known as "convection", so if you have a convection oven, or an oven with a convection mode, use that. And for ze Americanz: 200°C is about 400°F. Bon appétit.

[@WhiskyCanuck]

I believe that if you don't have a convection oven, the rule of thumb is to extend the cook time by about 25% (20min in this case), or bump up the temperature by about 15C (so 215C/420F)

[@ojj75]

​@@WhiskyCanuck hi, mine's a combi oven with oven and grill settings. Do i use the oven setting? Is that similar to convection?

[@WhiskyCanuck]

@@ojj75 Terms used vary by region. Where I am, "convection" means there is a fan in the oven to circulate the air inside and keeps the heat more even throughout the oven. From what I gather, the "oven" mode you're talking about is the normal mode where the bottom heating element is used, and "grill" is what we call "broiler" when the top element is used - which is super hot & doesn't include thermostat/temperature control. It's for when you want to brown/crisp the top of your food quickly. So what I'd call convection is regular oven mode + fan. So in your case, since you don't seem to have a fan inside the oven, use regular oven mode & be prepared to cook it a little longer.

[@timtheodor1]

That looks tasty - thank you. BTW, I love your cozy style, no rush, calmness, the chill music at the end. Great to decompress during a break from work!

[@Tee-uf9be]

I just messaged my husband and told him to take our whole bird out of the freezer. Will defrost it in the fridge a couple days and we're going to have Sunday night chicken using this method. And garlic smashed potatoes, yes please!!! Merci Beaucoup Chef 👩‍🍳

[@seosamhrosmuc]

Can i come?

[@missmarplesapprentice5219]

​@@seosamhrosmuc Form an orderly queue, behind me 😁

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

pleasure

[@Growlerinthebush]

I have done this for years when out away fishing for a few days making an oven with a stock pot on it's side and a modified cooling grid laid inside, the lid is sealed with a dough of flour and water then place on an open fire or gas cooker and that's it I just time it on my phone, I use the juices in the same way. Leaves me free to enjoy my fishing 😉🙂

[@johnhardy4965]

Looks fabulous, Stephane, and as I also know about cooking potatoes in cold water, I'm set like a jelly.

[@o.bartlett6007]

First, I just received your French Cooking Academy Cookbook 3 days ago and looked it over immediately. Love what I see but we haven't had a chance to try any of the recipes yet though we plan to do so soon. That said we did make this super easy roast chicken and LOVED it. I did have celery and carrots that needed used up that were no longer at their best. So, we rough chopped them and a white onion to add to the inside of the chicken when we seasoned it. Other than we used a trivet because my roasting pan has one built in, we kept it simple just as you did. Results are excellent due to the simplicity with minimal fuss and clean up. Love the cold start method as that was the biggest difference between what I have been cooking since a young boy in the early 1980's. I'll be using the Cold Start from now on as it works to perfection.

[@timothyogden9761]

The method is easy with great results. It was my first roast chicken and it wont be my last. Thank you Chef.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

great to hear it works well 🙂

[@pascalkoppetsch1199]

Thank you for sharing that technique! Simple and effective! And that's true: my mother used to put the cold chicken into the cold grill. 👍🏻

[@allonszenfantsjones]

I'm all by myself (don't have an oven) so I got my little air fryer on sale and it has a rotisserie function. Plus I got all of the juice on the bottom and I can make mashed potatoes with that. Last about 4 days.

[@thegoodgeneral]

An air fryer is simply a small convection oven. It'll get you *better* results than using a whole oven without convection/fan-forced.

[@ThomasKretschmer-go6vt]

Thanks posting this. Like many people I've been roasting cicken for many years and I find this the most straight forward, simple and tasty method so far. The 20 minute resting period after roasting is now a must do for any bird I put in the oven. Deglazed the roasting pan with a spalsh of white wine for an excellent juice.

[@vilhelmhammershoi3871]

Can't wait to try it! Thanks for posting this technique!

[@fayeliu2601]

Going to get the chicken today!😊 Merci beaucoup..🙏🏻❤️

[@Ria-xl7kz]

Thank you. I just had arthritis & trigger finger. Was getting really depressed coz i loved to cook, but now can't. I will try this recipe. I really hope it works. Will update soon.

[@Foxcatdogwolf]

This was absolutely delicious thank you.

[@omotayoajani7092]

I have been craving for roasted chicken lately....thank God l found your channel. God bless you Sir

[@oxigenarian9763]

Thank-you!! Been looking for something like this for a very long time...

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

🙂👍

[@r.b.8061]

Merci! Tu es le meilleur! Tes vidéos sont super!!! 👨🏻‍🍳🥘😋🇫🇷

[@sandg8270]

I am trying this tonight! Great recipe- and my favourite bit at the end- listening to you eating it!!

[@martinhildebrandt6284]

Starting with a cold oven is underrated. Properly used it´s not only tremendous time saver but can of course work wonders with temp gradients. One caveat: It highly depends on your oven. I recently replaced my old oven with a new one with ultrafast ceramic heating elements. My old "cold oven" recipes failed. All of them. The old oven took it´s time to get up to temp. Sometimes more than half an hour with a big lump of cold meat. The new one blasts the chicken with 200C after 6 minutes..... So the recipe is great. The 75 min and the top temp will be highly dependend on the oven though.

[@TululaTenant]

Big fan of your little effort, big taste recipes. They've transformed my diet. Thanks!

[@petermueller7407]

This very simple recipe maybe is the base for the climax of french cooking. That already absolutely delicious jus can extremely easily be transformed into world class sauces of multiple different shapes.

[@nyshanelson2252]

Made a roasted chicken tonight using this method and indeed - super easy and very tasty! I used InstantPot Vortex airfryer on the roast setting. Will do this again.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

great feedback as many were asking surveying the chicken 🙂👍 thanks

[@andrewhammill6148]

Just a southerner here saying that the juice would make a great gravy too. Got 20 minutes for the chicken to rest. Why not.

[@vanessaamos2278]

Thanks a million. Was always afraid to try this, but now I will definitely give this a try. Thankbyou again.

[@spcshiznit]

I love your channel, and I just ordered your cookbook. Can't wait to try out some of your recipes!

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

thanks a lot for that much appreciated

[@FWKnaapen]

What would you recommend if your oven doesn't have a fan-mode. ? Would it work as wel, maybe less crispy

[@petercartledge5088]

Merci beaucoup. ❤

[@TheMaartian]

I'm looking forward to trying this in my Cosori Dual Blaze air fryer (friteuse à air). It has a very good Roast function. I'll use the smallest Red Label free-range chicken (volailles fermières Label Rouge) I can find.

[@samgrant83]

The Joel Robuchon method starts with a cold oven, but starts with the chicken on its side, then then next side, then the back, and finishing on the breast side. It's my go to method, but you do have to intervene a few times, but does produce crisped skin on all sides - and I usually truss it too. I'll give your method a go when I want a quick roast.

[@YuriSVdovenko]

Thanks a ton! This method is for me because I'm too lazy in the heat but me and a friend of mine want to eat a whole chicken simultaneously. You are our lifesaver!

[@campster5280]

. At the beginning - you said you would "FILTER" the Pan Juices. Did you strain it to remove the fond ? SVP I can imagine adding some flour, and making a magnificent gravy from all those lovely drippings 💗 .

[@camthebam10]

It works!

[@Dee-ue1rq]

Simple but effective ! Just the way I like it

[@LeDrapeauBlanc]

Thank you for the recipe!

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

no problem

[@andrejjasev]

Merci, monsieur!! !! Vielen Dank! 🎉

[@axiomist4488]

The ultimate single guy recipe. It couldn't be simpler ! Make some garlic mashed potatoes with it and of course, remember the bread . Wow !!!

[@faithsrvtrip8768]

I love an easy, lazy recipe. Thanks Chef! Cooking in my RV on Middle Thompson Lake in Montana!

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

montana that’s a beautiful spot good place to roast a chicken 👍🙂

[@dorritsmedsgard5900]

I can recomment this method. I put the chicken in the oven, programming my oven to start at a certain time and come home to a ready meal (and a good smell in the kitchen).

[@midokhader5509]

May be it dangerous to keep oven on while u out.

[@dorritsmedsgard5900]

@@midokhader5509 I have done this for over 40 years now, and nothing have happend - yet! 😆

[@billb13]

How long is it in the oven before it starts heating?

[@dorritsmedsgard5900]

@@billb13 Frozen: 3 - 4 hours, thawed: max 1 hour

[@montgomerycross8140]

Wonderful! but one question - why do you use sunflower oil? Can you use olive oil instead, or even clarified butter as a substitute? I'm not a fan of seed oils... Merci!

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

any high smoke point oil can be used 👍

[@billb13]

WONDERFULLY DONE! Question: Why not just pull out the pan with the roasted chicken, then lift the chicken up and set a rack underneath it then set it all back over the pan and cover it with foil? That way the drippings go back into the original pan instead of getting a second pan messy. And: Why not put a pan of water on the bottom rack to generate steam so you can open the oven near the end and baste it with the fabulous juices? To me, that would help the browning process even more.

[@Rileygirl77]

I ❤ the simplicity!! But do I need the oven with the fan? I don’t have this feature in my oven. 😞

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

you can use conventional heat too just add 20 degrees c or 40F 👍

[@AdrianJayeOnline]

I don't believe it.......... wowow awesoome

[@Paul-xb7ko]

This is comparable to Julia Child and Ina Garten methods for roasting chicken. Let me suggest "legs to the back" since breast meat cooks faster than dark meat. I roast turkey and chicken that way all the time. Great recipe!

[@WavyCurlyGina]

Yum! This will be a great recipe to try ❤ We all enjoy your enthusiasm and love of food. Thanks for sharing your talent with us!

[@Taichientaoyin]

It is surreal that chicken.

[@iancrump2130]

Would this method work with a 20 pound turkey? If so what temp and how long?

[@ojj75]

What about a combi oven? Should I use the oven or grill setting? I don't see a fan option though.

[@jaypeterson8499]

What size(weight) chicken did you use, or there about, l will be cooking for two, not counting sandwiches of course. Thanks going to try this evening.

[@billb13]

He said 1.5 kg which is 3.3 lbs.

[@TheSolake]

Superb. But, don't you warm up the chiken after the 20 minutes cool down?

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

no need it will still be warm

[@dominicfree7517]

Manifique 🧑‍🍳

[@Hedgehogsinthemist123]

I always put mine in a pre-heated oven. What is the difference between cooking from cold or from pre-heated? I like to sprinkle tarragon over mine.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

it just cooks everything evenly without moving the chicken

[@purleybaker]

Roasted chicken is on the menu for Saturday. Thanks for the idea. Edit-this worked great. The chicken was juicy, tender and a hit. Your suggestion to drop the temp and extend the time a bit for a bigger bird was good. Thanks again for the idea. My days of spatchcocking and basting may be over.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

pleasure

[@henrikrso]

This seems to be a great method, but my first question is how to adjust the cooking time/temperature to the size of the chicken. In Sweden, where I live, I have have been able to get access to "Label rouge" chickens from France. They are small however. Between 1,2 and 1,3 kilogrammes. Never more. They are cooked in just 20 minutes in 200 degres C. I was suggested that larger chickens should be cooked for longer in lesser temperature. But what about smaller ones?

[@kjdude8765]

Shorter time at the stated temperature and you should be good. Take the temp at the 20 minutes but that seems pretty quick to me for a whole bird.

[@lawrenceatkinson5884]

I always love your recipes and I do cook a number of them. I have a strange situation. I often roast a chicken at 180 degrees, fan. A nice free range 1.6 or 1.7 kilo bird. But I always need to cook about 1 1/2 hours!? Then I rest for 15 minutes, and it's juicy and perfectly cooked. Why do I have to cook longer than everyone else? I'm certainly not overcooking!

[@Justicenow6510]

The 20 extra minutes is possibly that you're oven is not regulated to the proper temperature, or because you're cooking at a lower temperature than in this recipe.

[@lawrenceatkinson5884]

You could be right. I have a rather expensive fan oven and I cook at 180 C. However I have the same experience in a variety of ovens.

[@BCSJRR]

I gotta try this method out. Now when is our next trip to the grocery store?

[@knbKaren]

This looks fantastic and easy, but what if you don't have convection, (fan forced)? I presume it can't be done this way, or at least it won't have crispy skin. Am I wrong?

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

you can use conventional heat just add 20 degrees celcius around 40 f

[@knbKaren]

@@FrenchCookingAcademy Excellent! Thank you. I just happen to have a chicken in the fridge and you've solved my dinner for tomorrow.

[@ah4furnishings348]

Awesome 😎

[@Brasfitcgn]

delicious

[@shooting26gaming28]

Love your recipes ❤

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

thanks

[@timstearsman7084]

I amgoing to try this out.

[@DirtyHarryz]

Would it be any different if you brine a chicken before?

[@spinningbackspin]

Very simple method. Would it not at least make sense to check the roasted temperature of the bird too with a digital thermometer?

[@nikiTricoteuse]

Just curious, l'd love to know how long your oven takes to heat. My oven takes about 40 minutes to come to temperature so, as much as l would love to try this, l don't have a lot of faith that this would work for me. 😊

[@praveenkumarr5553]

Chef, a doubt please... Does this method works only with fresh chicken? Or, even the frozen/refrigerated chicken can be cooked this way??

[@Nel33147]

Yummy

[@sonjamiller8266]

Can I use this technique on stuffed chicken

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

yes but cooking time will be longer

[@jackdorsey4850]

Dear Chef, Nice technique question can you do this with a Spatchcock chicken?

[@gregw2388]

You can. I do mine that way at least weekly.

[@jackdorsey4850]

@@gregw2388 Thank you Chef

[@andysbg77]

Is there a methode for Poulet au Riz?

[@hanno3389]

juicy

[@danlacrosse3662]

What if you don't have fan force, just a basic gas oven?

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

up the temperature by 20 celcius or 40 f 👍

[@craigandersen540]

Is the chicken 'cold' or at 'room temperature' when placed into the oven?

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

can be both 👍

[@craigandersen540]

​@FrenchCookingAcademy Thx much for the reply. I would think however that the cooking time would very between a room temperature chicken bei g baked and one that was refrigerated...no?

[@marcuscook3852]

I don't have a fan forced oven. Can I still use this technique?

[@gregw2388]

You certainly can. You might not get the skin as crispy, but it will still be wonderful.

[@jamesa7506]

Most certainly! This recipe was around long before the forced fan ovens.

[@pamelab7235]

I can’t seem to get the convection part of my new superduper slick oven to work so I’m just going to use the regular oven. But I might put it under the broiler for the last few minutes to crisp up the skin.

[@frankwillet1609]

Once again Stephen, a wonderful recipe. Thank you…🇬🇧

[@NapoleonSolo452]

Very nice! I find it very interesting, though, that you do not brine the bird. I’ve been conditioned to think that brining is required. Thank you for dispelling that belief.

[@kjdude8765]

This is the most basic, starting point for roast chicken. You can certainly brine (wet or dry) and add herbs in the cavity for a next step up in complexity.

[@thegoodgeneral]

The secret to roasting a really good chicken is having convection/fan-forced heating in your oven. Without it you don't get those rotisserie results very easily and the process becomes a little more complicated. Most people in apartments don't have convection ovens, and still many in homes don't either. A shame.

[@keeptrying5962]

Perfect! Thank you. 🙌🏼

[@ericarobbin]

I was given a local chicken that was frozen for me, how should I unfreeze before using this method?

[@LeeWanfo]

Another french tip: You put the chicken on the side to begin with, and then 25min later flip it on the other side so the tighs' skin get more crispy and then 25 min later you finally put the chicken with breasts on top but it takes more efforts... and yours friends may finish the bottle of wine without you before you come back 😂.Honestly this is better but not as simple as Stephane's method

[@kevinconners168]

= Jacque Pépin’s method

[@fitzbarbel]

Superb! Thank you.

[@JaymieBTassie]

Well, I am going to try this today for sure. If nothing else for the amazing jus at the end as the butter would make that utterly delicious. Thank you so much I love your channel and the courses I have signed up for already.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

Thanks and don't worry, flavor wise this is the best natural chicken jus you will ever get.

[@MrVovansim]

6:35 that's not ALL natural chicken juice, is it? At least my supermarket whole chicken label says it's 15% saline solution by weight, so I assume most of the liquid is that.

[@Dagrond]

I've never seen a "fan-force" oven (America) so how does one convert that to reality? - gonna make this anyway ...

[@hannahroberts6295]

200C fan- forced is a hot oven. Usually you add 20C to equate temperature for a conventional oven. So 220C. But you could cook it at 200C conventional oven...it will take slightly longer. Make sure you test...a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh yields clear juices. And if you can get hold of verjuice (juice of fresh white wine grapes) add a splash to chicken juices for a fantastic flavour! Bon chance...good luck!

[@billb13]

A fan-force oven is a convection oven. It's also how an air fryer works.

[@RadiusFive]

Holy cow! By comparison, an American chicken graduating from the oven used about 50 ingredients, 20000 dollars worth of equipment and has a PhD in quantum thermodynamics.

[@pandoraeeris7860]

"No one ever invents anything in cooking." Korean street food would like a word with you monsieur.

[@johnsmith-gk4td]

😂😂😂😂

[@mikegan73]

This is how I usually do it myself, it's nice and easy and comes out very well.

[@fifthavenue8505]

You did not mention washing/drying the chicken; it seems very difficult, to me, to do both.

[@kjdude8765]

You don't need to wash your chicken (unless you plucked it yourself) You can leave it uncovered in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) to dry the skin out. Or just blot with paper towel before oiling.

[@DougTrovinger]

That is amazing...so simple too! :D

[@holgerx541]

The salt surely won against the pepper recently.

[@BrapMan]

That is how my mum has roasted chickens my whole life, except she doesn't put any pepper or butter on it... the old and simple ways are often the best ways lol

[@jamesa7506]

No trussing, no stuffing, no fussing around! 👍you don't even have to wait for the oven to preheat!! Amazing!

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

That is the whole idea, not slaving in front of the oven just for a roast chicken.

[@beck645]

Have always loved how excellent and classy your videos are. Very much the finest out there. I cook my dinner rolls the very same way from a cold start. Nice extra bit of oven spring and people rave about them. One question if I may. How close did you have the chicken to room temp deep in the middle or was it still cold from the fridge? That’s my only question. Please never stop being classy. You are just excellent.

[@FrenchCookingAcademy]

you can use the chicken just out of the fridge if you like it works either ways 👍

[@beck645]

@@FrenchCookingAcademy I figured as much since the temp rises so slowly. Thank you! You are a shining star on KZbin.