The Best Part Of Roast Chicken Is The Bread You Put Underneath It

Roast chicken is a shortcut to happiness. It's one of those dishes that, when cooked just right with crispy, golden skin and plump, perfectly juicy flesh, just can't be beaten. It's a favorite among chefs and home cooks alike, thanks to its delicious, complex flavor that belies its remarkably simple preparation. But as anyone who has ever roasted a bird knows, the best bit isn't the chicken itself; It's what it leaves behind: that thick, caramelized residue that sticks to the bottom of the roasting pan and the glorious juices that pool under the bird, just begging to be soaked up with a scrap of crusty bread. Any chef will tell you, that's where the real flavor is.

So, when we came across something known as "chicken bread," of course, our ears pricked up. This is a recipe that sounds (almost) too good to be true — golden, crunchy bread, sitting beneath the chicken as it roasts, getting soaked in that flavorful chicken juice. When herbs like rosemary and thyme and aromatics like lemon and garlic are introduced to the party, things go to a whole new level. And it couldn't be easier to make. If you can roast a chicken, you can make chicken bread. You'd be forgiven for questioning if this method really works. Surely, the bread would just get all soggy and fall apart. No, dear reader, it doesn't. Instead, you'll be left with what's essentially a gigantic crouton that's deeply delicious, crispy, and chewy.

To make chicken bread, you need to be able to roast a good chicken. All you need is a good quality bird, salt, pepper and butter. Garlic and lemon as well as those herbs we mentioned earlier (like rosemary, thyme, and sage) don't hurt either. Get that butter all nicely squished between the skin and the meat (separating it will allow it to puff up and get nice and crispy), and you'll be well on your way to a tender, foolproof roast chicken.

So, where does the bread come in? Well, if we're being accurate, the bread comes under — underneath the chicken, that is. What kind of bread you pick is up to you. We'd opt for something with a great crunch, either a slab of crusty sourdough, a baguette, or even an Italian focaccia or ciabatta. Whatever bread you use, this technique works best if it's stale. Then, simply slice it, give it a drizzle with some good quality olive oil, and a sprinkling of flaky salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Put it in your roasting pan before placing your prepped chicken on top. Essentially, the bread is doing the job that a trivet of vegetables usually would, allowing air to circulate under the bird for an even cook while collecting all those juices, which will eventually caramelize into the crunchy, sticky, chewy wonder that is chicken bread.

So, you've made your chicken bread. What now? Well, you can pretty much use it however you'd like. If you're hosting a dinner party (and chicken is the centerpiece), you could slice up your chicken bread and spread it with pâté for a complex, refined appetizer. Or swap that pâté out for a combination of chopped tomatoes, garlic, and basil, using your chicken bread as the perfect foundation for a fresh bruschetta. If you feel like a trip to Spain, take some inspiration from tapas and use it to make reclutas — a classic dish of olive oil toast, topped with fresh tomato slices and marinated anchovies.

If you have any chicken bread left over, consider cubing it up and toasting it in the oven for the greatest croutons you'll ever make. Use them alongside some of the chicken itself to make a restaurant quality Caesar salad, or tear it into big chunks for a traditional Tuscan panzanella, or bread salad (another classic and crafty way to make use of stale bread). Double down on the chicken flavor by blitzing the cubes into breadcrumbs in a food processor and using them to add a remarkable depth of flavor to your next batch of chicken cutlets. If you're anything like us, though, it won't last that long. It's so delicious, it'll be a wonder if it makes it to the table at all.