What’s the greatest caution you take when roasting a chicken: To not burn it? To not burn yourself?

Here’s chef George Mavrotha\0xADlassitis’ gravest concern: “DO NOT tear the chicken skin. Do not! This is very important.”

There’s no overemphasizing how much he means it. When asked for a work-around if there happened to be an ever-so-teeny tear, he waved his arms and shook his head: “No no no. It cannot happen.”

In the universe of roast chicken, Mavrothalassitis’ version is out of this world: extra- moist meat, extra-crisp skin — extra-ono everything, his aim for all the cuisine at Chef Mavro, his fine-dining restaurant where he cooks alongside chef de cuisine Jonathan Mizukami.

There the chefs work with only the best ingredients, from Mavrothalassitis’ beloved Sumida watercress to Perigord truffles priced between $600 and $1,200 a pound. In fact, the chef only recently put chicken back on the menu after an absence of many years, when he at long last found a small local farmer to supply his restaurant. Only isle chicken would do, he said. With no local chicken available, he had done without.

When he got his hands on the Perigords, he and Mizukami created the Chef Mavro version of roast chicken — all breast meat, attached to the body. Preparation is a multiple-day process that entails brining the bird, then placing the truffles under its skin for maximum flavor that “carries through the whole flesh,” he said. The bird then sits in the fridge for two days to dry, which results in paper-thin, exceptionally crisp skin.

And if you don’t happen to have Perigords, the beauty of this under-the-skin technique is that you can use all kinds of items to flavor your chicken.

There is, however, a caveat: It requires removing the chicken’s extremities while keeping the skin intact and attached to the body. The disassembly requires much care — recall Mavrothalassitis’ urgent warning — and some practice, but both chefs insist it’s not difficult to master. (See the step-by-step pictures.)

The extra skin is necessary to this particular roasting technique, in which the skin is wrapped around the body to secure the flavorings beneath it.

The process starts with brining for five hours in a mixture of water, salt and sugar, plus a mire poix (cut veggies that provide flavor and aroma) of onions, carrots, garlic, parsley, leeks and thyme.

Next, the brined chicken is broken down. Head, neck, feet and wings are removed first, then the leg quarters.

(Restaurants never waste anything, and Mavrothalassitis says every bit of the chicken removed for this dish can be used in another: Legs can be marinated, then cooked on their own; necks are good for making sauce; feet are ideal for soup; everything is great for broth.)

After flavoring items are placed on the breast under the skin, the extraneous skin is tucked into the carcass. It will come in handy as the chicken roasts and the skin retracts. That extra skin will ensure the breast stays covered and the flavorings are kept in place.

While at the restaurant the bird is dried before roasting, Mavrothalassitis says this step is optional (he recommends 24 hours of drying time at home). But he promises that if you can sacrifice that extra time, you won’t be disappointed.

Flavoring ideas

It’s probably safe to assume that you won’t be using Perigord truffles to flavor your chicken. But many other items will boost flavor. Consider these ideas, courtesy of Mavrothalassitis:

• Fresh herb mix of parsley, chives, tarragon — “chicken and tarragon are best friends,” said the chef
• Italian sausage, removed from its casing and shaped into little patties
• Black olive tapenade
• Goat cheese
• Chicken brine
• Chef George Mavrothalassitis
• 1 gallon water
• 2/3 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 onion, cut into 1-by-1-inch pieces
• 1 carrot, cut into 1-by-1-inch pieces
• 1/2 bulb garlic (cut in half horizontally), peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 leek, split downward and cut into 1-by-1-inch pieces
• 2 bunches parsley and thyme

To large pasta pot, add water, salt and sugar. Whisk to dissolve crystals. Add veggies and herbs. Add 3- to 4-pound chicken. Brine 5 hours.

Roasting the chicken

Roast a 3- to 4-pound brined chicken, with legs, wings and neck removed, at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. Mavrothalassitis prefers not to use a meat thermometer; instead, he uses one of two techniques to check for doneness:

>> Press the middle of the chicken breast with your finger. It shouldn’t bounce back. If it does, it’s undercooked.

>> With a metal skewer, poke the middle of the breast down to the bone. Remove skewer and place the tip on the top of your hand. If it’s hot and you see juice on the skewer, it’s perfectly cooked.