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Roast chicken is more than what’s for dinner, it’s a life skill.
Anthony Bourdain (R.I.P. and bless his soul) once said:
Everyone should know how to roast a chicken. It’s a life skill that should be taught to small children at school. The ability to properly prepare a moist yet thoroughly cooked bird, with nicely crisp skin, should be a hallmark of good citizenry. An obligation to your fellow man.
Everyone walking down the street should be reasonably confident that the random person next to them is prepared, if called upon, to roast a chicken. It seems like a simple thing. Yet there’s a reason this task was a traditional test of a new cook’s basic skills when auditioning for the great kitchens of Europe. It’s as easy, if not easier, to fuck it up as to do it right.
Respect the chicken!
If you’re a long-time follower here, you know that I RESPECT THE CHICKEN!
I (a) already posted a Roast Chicken recipe in Sobremesa 09. and (b) then in Sobremesa 24. I shared a chicken salad recipe with leftover roast chicken. I just can’t help myself.
There’s a reason for that. It’s the hallmark of good, humble, simple, cooking. It feeds me and my man for days. And as Tony B. so eloquently put, it makes me feel like a good citizen of the world. There’s a reason it was one of the first dishes my mom taught me to make.
There are many fixings you can do for a Roast Chicken to make it delicious.
But what it really comes down to is just this: (1) moist yet (2) thoroughly cooked and (3) nicely cooked skin…..And I have some exciting new developments since I last posted a roast chicken recipe in November.
For the moist part:
I brine the chicken in buttermilk for at least 4 hours. Ideally you could go up to 24 for optimal juiciness, but let’s be honest, who is really planning a meal that far in advance. I will say, I did it for 24hrs this week and it really really was worth it. I got this idea when Samin Nosrat’s buttermilk brined chicken recipe came on my radar. Buttermilk rocks as a chicken marinate because the acidity of the buttermilk helps to break down protein structures in the chicken — meaning it becomes way less chewy and will retain better moisture.
For the thoroughly cooked part:
I finally bought myself a damn thermometer. I hate buying gadgets, and for the longest time I would just poke at the chicken and see if the juices would run clear. But I found myself anxiously hovering around the stove (who wants to be anxious about a chicken?) and was also opening the oven too much for the skin to get crispy (because I was terrified about over-cooking it). BTW - the perfect temp. for a roast chicken is 165 degrees.
I got a cheap one that costs $20 and it does the job.
Lastly, the oh-so-desired crispy skin part:
I’ve switched over to cooking my bird in my cast iron. It ensures an even roast, and the low edges actually let steam rise up for xtra crispiness. Bonus: I can then cook some veggies up in the leftover buttery chicken fat *drool*. If you don’t have a cast iron, try using a low-rim baking sheet.
From here, it’s just how you want to dress her up for the ball. Julia Child loved a good roast chicken….and also loved butter. As she famously once said,
With enough butter, anything is good.
I abide by the Queen…and I f*cking love butter! So I’m going to pour a simple garlic brown butter over the bird right before roasting. That, combined with the buttermilk brine, makes this….
a buttery roasted chicken.
Buttery Roasted Chicken
4-24 hrs of brining , 1-1/12 hours of roasting
Ingredients
2 1/2 - 3lb organic chicken
2 cups buttermilk
Salt
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
6 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika, for color
Let’s do it!
Rinse your bird and pat it dry. Place in a bowl or a bag.
Generously sprinkle with salt.
Pour your buttermilk allllll over. Place in the fridge for 4-24 hrs.
When it’s time to get cookin’….
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Take your bird and shake off as much buttermilk as you can. Place in your cast iron. Drizzle some salt and pepper over the bird and make sure to sprinkle some in the cavity.
Take your garlic and flatten each clove with the side of your knife so it’s a bit smashed. Take one of the cloves and mince. Throw some flattened garlic in the cavity and place some under the skin of the breast. Rub the minced over the top of the skin.
Make your brown butter. Take your butter and melt it in a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan frequently as you go. You’ll see it start to foam, and little caramelized bits forming at the bottom. After about 2-3 mins, it will turn a rich dark brown and smell nutty and sweet.
Pour the brown butter all over the bird, a little inside the cavity, and rub it underneath the skin. Told ya this would be buttery!
Rub some paprika all over the bird (the paprika is really just for color).
Place on the middle rack. Bake for 1-1.5 hrs. Rotate halfway through so you can ensure an even bake. Internal temperature should be 165 degrees (if you don’t have a thermometer, cut a slit and see if the juices run clear).
Let rest on a carving board for 15 minutes.
Carve up your bird into the sections you like. Check out this video for a how-to!
yum.
Happy cooking,
Love ya mucho.
Tessa