Ingredients:
Chicken & Mushrooms
1 (3- to 4-pound) whole chicken
Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1 handfulmixed fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, marjoram, or tarragon), tied together with butcher’s twine
7 garlic cloves; 4 smashed, 3 thinly sliced
1 cupwhite wine
1 tablespoonunsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
8 cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoonall-purpose flour
1/2 cupheavy cream
French Fries
2 1/2 poundsscrubbed but not peeled
Neutral oil, for frying
Kosher salt
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 475°F.
Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before cooking. If the chicken comes packaged with giblets, discard the giblets (or freeze them for gravy). Forty-five minutes before you plan to roast the chicken, season it all over with salt—make sure to get inside the cavity too—to allow the salt time to draw out excess moisture from the skin. Place the chicken breast-side up on the rack of a roasting pan and wick away any excess moisture with paper towels.
Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the herbs and then place the herbs and smashed garlic in the cavity of the chicken. Truss the chicken by tying its legs together so they don’t splay open. Keep it classy!
Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 25 minutes, rotating the bird once halfway through, then turn the oven temperature to 325°F. Continue cooking until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a paring knife, another 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your bird. (If the skin looks like it’s starting to burn or if the breast is close to doneness before the thighs and legs are ready, cover the hot spots with aluminum foil to slow down cooking.) Remove from the oven when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 150°F and the thigh reads 160°F. (This is lower than the USDA guidelines…but remember, the chicken will keep cooking once you take it out of the oven and may go up an additional 5°F to 10°F.) Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Place the roasting pan with the chicken drippings over medium heat. Add the wine and deglaze the pan, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any of the tasty, crusty bits stuck to the bottom. Once the brown bits have been loosened, about 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
In a separate sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until they are browned and soft, about 5 minutes more. Add the sliced garlic, a pinch of salt, and a generous crank of black pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved deglazing liquid, stir to combine, sprinkle the flour evenly over the mushrooms, and stir again to combine. Once the flour gains some color, add the cream and cook until incorporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper as needed.
Carve the chicken and transfer to a serving plate. Transfer the sauce to a serving bowl to pass alongside the chicken and french fries. Start dippin’ those fries!
Cut the potatoes into ½-inch batons, about 3 inches long. As you cut them, transfer to a bowl of ice water to release some of the starch and keep them from oxidizing.
Fill a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan with 3 to 4inches of oil and heat to 325°F. Set a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. Line a bowl with a clean, dry towel or paper towels.
Working in two or three batches, add the potatoes to the oil—make sure the potatoes can swim around comfortably and aren’t clumping together—and cook until they just begin to brown, about 4 minutes. using a spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the fries to the prepared baking sheet to drain. (The potatoes can rest like this for about 30 minutes.)
When you’re ready for the second fry, increase the temperature of the oil to 375°F. Again, working in two or three batches so as not to crowd the pot, re-fry the potatoes, this time until they’re nicely browned and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the prepared bowl, season liberally with salt, and toss to coat. Serve immediately.