Two decades ago, I had lunch at L’Ami Louis, an icon of classic Paris dining. The good news is that the place was intimate, the walls had charming leather wallpaper, and the roast chicken was the essence of classic French cooking. The bad news is that the waiters were uniquely indifferent, not bothering to inform me that a first course would serve the entire table (one order of foie gras was enough for the entire Les Bleus soccer team), and that lunch for two, with one bottle of wine, was going to reach upwards of $500. Mon Dieu!

But, back to the chicken. Served in a charming cocotte, the jus was rich, the meat was juicy, and it transformed my vision of what a roast chicken ought to be. A roast chicken without a sauce or jus is just, well, a carcass of roasted meat, much like a white bread sandwich with mayo and American cheese.

Kevin West’s book, “The Cook’s Garden,” gave us hope. He roasts chicken with herbs and alliums and then the charred alliums are loosened up with a bit of dry vermouth to produce a lovely jus. We went with 100% shallots plus garlic and skipped the onion. A preheated cast iron skillet (make it a 12-incher please; stainless steel will also work but cast iron is better) helps with the charring of the shallot. The shallot and garlic are placed cut-side down in the blazing hot skillet and then the chicken goes on top, breast side up. (Personally, I separate the entire breast from the legs so that I can remove the breast once done and then cook the legs until they reach 195 degrees. This ruins the visuals, I admit, but it’s your call.)

The sauce is French cooking 101. Pour any juices from the cavity into the skillet and remove the chicken and let it rest 5 minutes. Deglaze with Vermouth, cook it down a bit, add some broth and cook that down and then strain, return the juices to the pan. Bring back to a simmer, remove from heat, and whisk in two tablespoons of butter for a glossy finish.

Voila! Just as good as a Paris bistro and when you add up what you spent, it will be far short of the stunning L’Addition from L’Ami Louis.

Chris Kimball

Christopher Kimball is founder of Milk Street, which produces Milk Street Magazine, Milk Street Television on PBS, and the weekly public radio show Milk Street Radio. He founded Cook’s Magazine in 1980 and was host and executive producer of America’s Test Kitchen until 2016. Kimball is the author of several books, including "The Yellow Farmhouse" and "Fannie’s Last Supper."