Zuni-style bread salad with roasted chicken

This recipe was inspired by Zuni Cafe's unbeatable roasted chicken. I simplified Smitten Kitchen's simplified version of the original Zuni recipe from the must-have Zuni Cafe Cookbook: http://amzn.com/0393020436

Ingredients

Roasted Chicken:
1 small 3 lb chicken,
4 sprigs fresh thyme, rosemary or sage
salt
pepper
Salad:
1/2 lb. crusty rustic bread
2 tbsp pine nuts
1/4 cup + 3 tbsps olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
salt
pepper
1 tbsp dried currants
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp warm water
3 garlic cloves, slivered
1/4 cup scallions, slivered
A few handfuls of arugula, frisée, or red mustard greens (washed and dried)

4 people

Directions

Remove and discard the lump of fat inside the chicken. Rinse the chicken and pat very dry inside and out.

Slide a finger under the skin of each breast and on the outside of the thickest section of each thigh. Slip herbs into each of the 4 pockets.

Liberally season the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Season thick sections a little more heavily than the skinny ankles and wings. Sprinkle some salt just inside the cavity on the backbone. Twist and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders. Cover loosely and refrigerate for 1-2 days.

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 475°. Also preheat a large 10-12" skillet over medium heat. Set the chicken breast-side up in the pan.

Place the pan in the center of the oven and roast for 20 minutes. If the chicken has not browned, increase the heat progressively until it does. The skin should blister, but the chicken shouldn't char or smoke. After about 30 minutes, flip the bird and roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size. Then flip it back over to recrisp the breast skin for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and set on a plate. Carefully pour off the clear fat from the roasting pan, leaving the lean drippings behind. Slash the stretched skin between the thighs and breasts of the chicken. Tilt the bird and plate over the roasting pan to drain the juice into the drippings. Set pan juices aside, and let the bird rest.

Plump dried currants in red wine vinegar and warm water for ten minutes. Drain.

Meanwhile, tear bread into 2- to 3-inch chunks to yield about 4 cups. Toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and broil with pine nuts briefly until the edges of the bread begin to brown.

Combine about 1/4 cup of the olive oil with the champagne vinegar. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss about 1/4 cup of this vinaigrette with the bread and pine nuts.

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and scallions, stirring constantly, until softened. Add to the bread and toss.

Add currants to the bread. Dribble pan juices over the bread. Toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Return the bread to the oven for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into pieces.

Remove bread from the oven and arrange on a platter. Top with greens and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette. Finish with roasted chicken pieces.

1-2 days