Give your roast chicken a deep amber glaze by brushing it with a simple mix of balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and dry vermouth.
1 chicken (3 ½ pounds)
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons dry vermouth
¼ cup water
- Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove giblets and neck from chicken; reserve for another use. Rinse chicken inside and out with cold running water; drain. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle salt and pepper on outside of chicken. With breast side up, lift wings up toward neck, then fold wing tips under back so wings stay in place. Tie legs together with string.
- Place chicken, breast side up, on rack in small roasting pan (13” by 9”). Roast chicken 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare glaze: In small bowl, stir brown sugar, vinegar, and vermouth until sugar has dissolved.
- After chicken has roasted 45 minutes, brush with some glaze. Turn oven control to 400 F and roast chicken, brushing with glaze twice more during roasting, until chicken is deep brown, about 30 minutes longer. Chicken is done when temperature on meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh, next to body, reaches 175 to 180 F and juices run clear when thigh is pierced with tip of knife. Transfer chicken to warm platter; let stand 10 minutes to set juices for easier carving.
- Meanwhile, remove rack from roasting pan. Skim and discard fat from drippings in pan. Add water to pan; heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring until browned bits are loosened from bottom of pan. Serve chicken with pan juices.
