WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS San Francisco’s famed Zuni Café serves a perfect roast chicken over a chewy-crisp, warm bread-and-greens salad that has a cultlike following. We pay homage with this simplified take, which is much more streamlined but still hits all the right notes: salty, savory, sweet, fresh, and bright. To preserve the soft texture of the arugula and highlight the way its pepperiness offsets the moist chicken and unctuous bread, we served the salad on the side. Salting and refrigerating the chicken drew moisture from the flesh, forming a brine that was eventually reabsorbed, seasoning the meat and keeping it juicy. The salt also made the skin crisp up better when roasted. This recipe was developed using Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you have Morton Kosher Salt, which is denser, use only ½ teaspoon in the chicken cavity. For the bread, we prefer a round rustic loaf with a chewy, open crumb and a sturdy crust.

Serves 4 to 6

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes (plus 24 hours refrigeration time)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
• Kosher salt and pepper
• 4 (1-inch-thick) slices crusty bread (8 ounces), bottom crust removed, cut into ¾-to 1-inch pieces (5 cups)
• ¼ cup chicken broth
• 6 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 scallions, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons dried currants
• 5 ounces (5 cups) baby arugula

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Use kitchen shears to cut through bones on either side of backbone of the chicken while it’s breast side down. Discard the backbone. Flip chicken over and press on breastbone to flatten.
2. Gently loosen center portion of skin covering each side of breast and legs. Rub salt under skin of each side of breast and each leg, and inside the bird’s cavity. Tuck wingtips behind back and turn legs so drumsticks face inward towards breasts. Place chicken on a large plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours.
3. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 475 degrees. Spray a 12-inch skillet with vegetable oil spray. Toss bread with broth and 2 tablespoons oil until pieces are evenly moistened. Arrange bread in skillet in a single layer, with majority of crusted pieces near the center, crust side up.
4. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place it, skin side up, on top of bread, centered over crusted pieces. Brush 2 teaspoons oil over chicken skin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast chicken until skin is deep golden brown and thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through roasting. (Bread should be a mix of softened, golden-brown, and crunchy pieces.)
5. While chicken roasts, whisk vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in remaining ¼ cup oil until combined. Stir in scallions and currants and set aside.
6. Transfer chicken to a carving board and let rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Carve chicken and whisk any accumulated juices into the vinaigrette. Add bread and arugula to the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Transfer salad to a serving platter and serve with chicken.