French🥩 Meat

Cold Start Roast Chicken

Name: Cold Start Roast Chicken
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken; coarse sea salt; freshly cracked black pepper; 2 tbsp cold butter; 1 tbsp sunflower oil; peppercorns

⏱ 90 min

A traditional French roasting technique using the cold start method to guarantee juicy, tender meat with perfectly crispy golden skin. No complex skills or fancy equipment needed—just simple ingredients and patience.

Adapted from a video by French Cooking Academy

The ONLY Roast Chicken Recipe You’ll Ever Need (Juicy Meat, Crispy Skin GUARANTEED)

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

whole chickenaround 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs)1
coarse sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper
cold butter30g, cut into small pieces2 tbsp
sunflower oilor other neutral oil1 tbsp
peppercornsfor seasoning inside the cavity

Steps

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1
Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels, then season the cavity generously with coarse salt and peppercorns.
2
Season the entire outside of the chicken liberally with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, making sure to coat it thoroughly.
3
Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil into the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
4
Tuck small pieces of cold butter between the chicken breast and legs.
5
Place the roasting pan with the chicken into a completely cold, turned-off oven and close the door.
6
Turn on the oven and set the temperature to 200°C (400°F) using fan-force/convection setting, then set a timer for 70 minutes.
7
Do not open the oven door during roasting. When the timer goes off, remove the chicken and place it on a rack, cover loosely with foil, and let it rest for at least 20 minutes.
8
While the chicken rests, pour the natural pan drippings and caramelized juices into a separate bowl to create a flavorful natural gravy or jus.
9
After resting, carve the chicken and serve it with the natural pan juices.

Cold Start Roast Chicken

Ingredients

Steps

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