Chef Charles Dale

Number of year’s @ current restaurant?

Since opening 14 months ago

Number of year’s in the field?

27 years and counting

Favorite dish to make is?

Roast chicken with carrots, potatoes and mushrooms – all in one pot

What do you like best about your profession?

Daily change – I am never bored

Your dream job would be?

Singer-songwriter, otherwise this is pretty close

Your Dream meal would be?

Caviar – tons of it, followed by lobster, then something odd, like sweetbreads….finishing with madeleines and dipping chocolate

What or who has most influenced your cooking technique?

Daniel Boulud was my mentor – his style is elegant yet approachable

Did you always plan to be a Chef?

No, I planned to be a rock musician, but figured I’d eat better, and more often, as a chef.

Something you’d like to see leave the dining scene is?

Confusion Cuisine

The funniest thing that ever happened in your kitchen or dining room was???

A novice cook strained the chicken stock, discarded the broth and saved the bones.

Your best tip for an enterprising home chef is?

Measure out all your ingredients before starting to make the recipe; that way, you’ll know if you are missing anything, and you will be ready on time.

Rustic Whole Chicken with Pan-Roasted Carrots, Potatoes, and Small Onions, “Jus Gras”
(Serves 4-6)

• 2 large, whole chickens, 3 to 4 lbs each
• small bunch fresh thyme
• small bunch fresh rosemary
• 4 whole cloves fresh garlic, unpeeled
• 1 Tbsp salt


• 1 Tbsp chopped thyme
• 1 Tbsp chopped rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1/3 cup olive oil


• small roll of butcher’s twine


• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 medium-sized carrots, peeled and sliced on the bias, ¾ inch thick
• 1 pint pearl onions, peeled
• 2 lbs Baby Creamer, Yukon Gold or Red Bliss potatoes (approx. one inch diameter), unpeeled
• 1 lb Crimini or domestic mushrooms (optional), rinsed


• 4 cups chicken stock

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Remove the first and second joints from the chicken wings and set aside. Divide the small bunch of thyme and the rosemary in two and place them in each chicken cavity with two cloves of garlic. Salt and pepper the cavities liberally.

Cut two lengths of twine, 24 inches each. To truss the chickens, attach the center part of the twine just above the neck bone, and pull towards the back of the chicken, going around the wings, and along the thighs. Cross the legs under the breastbone, pushing them in so that the breast comes up high. Cross the twine around the legs, then bring it around the back of the chicken. Pull tight and tie it off with a simple knot (not a bow). Repeat with the second chicken.

Mix the tablespoon of chopped thyme, rosemary, chopped garlic, ground pepper and olive oil together. Liberally baste the chickens and season with the remaining salt.

Heat a twelve-inch skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the two tablespoons olive oil, and lightly brown each chicken on all sides, one at a time. Remove the chickens, and add the chicken wings. Sauté until golden brown on both sides, approximately five minutes. Now add the carrots, pearl onions, and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables and wings for three more minutes. Add the mushrooms and the chicken stock. Transfer the vegetables, wings and stock to a standard 12x17 inch roasting pan, and place the chickens, breast-side up, on top of the vegetables. Make sure that the chickens are separated by at least four inches on all sides. Place the pan in the oven, and immediately turn the oven down to 350 degrees.

Roast the chickens for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, or until the juices in the leg run clear when pricked with the point of a paring knife. When the chickens look golden brown and are done, remove the roasting pan from the oven. Allow to rest for five minutes on the stovetop, then remove the twine from each chicken.

Carve the chickens by first removing the leg and thigh together, then separating them at the joint. Repeat for the second chicken. Remove the breast meat by inserting the point of your knife at the top of the breastbone, toward the back of the chicken, and following the bone all the way to the front. Cut down carefully all the way through, and separate the breast at the “wishbone”, leaving the wing tip attached to the breast. When both chickens have been carved, place all the pieces on top of the vegetables in the roasting pan, and place in the oven to reheat for three minutes.

To serve: remove the roasting pan from the oven. Push the chicken pieces to one side of the pan, and the vegetables to the other. Spoon the vegetables into the bottom of a large earthenware or porcelain dish (preferably warm), place the chicken pieces on top, and pour any remaining sauce on top of the chicken. Serve at once.