Top Chef's David Burke Finally Reveals His Famous Roast Chicken Recipe - Exclusive

More than halfway through the year, many restaurants have reopened, raising the hopes of industry leaders and the public that "normal" might finally be within reach. Unfortunately, an emergence of new COVID-19 cases has forced some restaurants to close again out of an abundance of caution, as CBS News points out. Is it any wonder that comfort food has emerged as one of 2021's most significant food trends (via Food and Wine)? As chef David Burke told Mashed during an exclusive interview, there's a lot to be said for foods we can make at home and "put in the middle of a table." And according to the award-winning chef and owner of 20+ restaurants around the globe, "chefs [actually] like to cook stuff like that."

"In a restaurant, we're always cooking in 'onesie' portions," Burke pointed out. "So to do a roast, and time it right, and the whole aroma and the sizzle and the smell of something that you can put in the center of a table, enjoy it with friends and family — that's cool, because you don't do that in restaurants." Burke's personal favorite is roast chicken. But of course it is, and it'd be yours too if you had Burke's recipe for his iconic, heaven-scented yet earthily satisfying onion-crusted roast chicken.

Fortunately, Burke shared his recipe for his classic roast chicken, one that's sure to do just the trick for those in need of a bit of culinary comfort.

"Top Chef" guest David Burke has a number of legendary roast chicken recipes, but it's his onion-crusted chicken recipe that we specifically asked the chef to jot down. Burke's transcendent dish requires just a handful of ingredients (a nice, plump chicken, a yellow onion, six heads of garlic, and ½ cup of olive oil) and 90 minutes' time.

Burke says to bake the thinnest-imaginable onion slices on a slightly oiled sheet pan at 200 degrees Fahrenheit until golden brown, crispy, and dry, and then hand-chop those savory bits into crumbs. Then, he mixes individual garlic cloves with olive oil, places them in a single layer on a pan, and bakes them until "very tender," or about 30 minutes. After the garlic cools, he squeezes the pulp from the skins into a food processor and purees. Next, Burke seasons the chicken with salt and pepper. He then spreads its skin thickly with the garlic puree before coating the whole thing in crispy onion crumbs. Finally, he roasts the chicken at 325 until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees (about 20 minutes).

The hardest thing about the recipe is letting the chicken rest before carving, but that is what the chef told us to do, so we did it. Now, it's your turn.

Follow along with chef David Burke, including his involvement with the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, by visiting his website and social media.