Put down your butter, your oil, your liquid marinades. Good chicken doesn’t need it! A good quality chicken has all the natural fat it needs to stay moist in the oven, and with a few tricks will roast perfectly every time.
I say that so confidently now, but a few years ago roasting a chicken was my Everest! The methods I was trying I found I could either get the meat well cooked with uneven/soggy skin, or well-browned skin with dry meat. Then I came across this method in a recipe from Judy Rodgers in her Zuni Cafe Cookbook and have been making flawless roast chickens ever since.
Over time I have taken out a step or two for the sake of simplicity, but you can check out the complete recipe here with
step-by-step photos if you want to be sure you are true to the original process.
1. Dry Brine the bird.
2-3 days ahead of time, pat down your bird to remove any moisture on the skin/cavity and remove any of nature’s goodies like the gizzards or fat flap that may have been stored in the cavity. Using your index finger, gently slide between the meat and skin to create a pocket (being careful not to tear holes in the skin) on the breasts tadalafil generique prix and the thighs. These are little flavour pouches that you can now fill with little bundles of whatever fresh herbs you happen to love (I usually go for thyme and sage).
Now salt and pepper the bird with kosher salt and lashings of cracked pepper with such reckless abandon that you start to think you’ve taken things too far…and then do just a little more. You want a nice scattering of seasoning on every surface of the skin and a little sprinkle in the cavity for good measure. Try and season more heavily where the meat is thick and be mindful of the less meaty areas like the wings and ankles.
Fold the wings back (do not truss the bird) and chuck the lot into a ziploc bag, or loosely cover in the fridge for 2-3 days. That will give the salt enough time to work its magic (more on that magic in a later article).
2. Towel Dry to Remove Any Moisture
A bird with lots of water on the skin will steam before it starts to brown; this is why the breast skin usually starts to brown before the thighs and you get an uneven mess. If you want a chicken with skin that is evenly crispy and golden you want to take time to really pat down the bird to remove all moisture before it goes in the oven. Be thorough with the wings and the creases of the thighs.
3. Bring on the Heat!
Birds respond well to high temperature roasting. It crisps the skin, imparts heavenly roasted flavours to the flesh, and draws out the natural fats of the bird. Smaller birds (2-3lbs) I like to do at 475 but if you’ve got a bigger bird 450 is your sweet spot on the heat scale. The important thing is that your bird should start to brown within 10 min of being in the oven, if that’s not happening – turn up the heat!
This high heat approach can make a bit of a mess as it makes the skin spit like bacon in a hot pan, but keep your exhaust hood on and you will make it through!
This next part is where is where you have two options depending on what you’ve got to work with in your kitchen
Method A: Hot Skillet
If you have a heavy bottom skillet (cast iron is best) that is big enough to fit your bird into, get it nice and hot over a medium flame and then you will put in the chicken (breast side up), it should sear when it hits the pan. This will ensure that you get a nice golden skin on the bottom of the chicken. Put the whole skillet directly into your searing hot oven and let it cook it until the cavity juices are no longer pinkish, and the leg joints feel loose when you wiggle them. (Usually 45 min)
Method B: Roasting Pan
Place the chicken, breast side up, in a roasting rack in a roasting pan. You want to
use the rack so that the heat can circulate all around the chicken to give you an even golden skin. If you put the chicken directly into the roasting pan you will have a soggy bottom on your bird…and who wants that? Place the whole deal into your hot oven and let it cook until the juices are clear and the leg joints feel loose when you wiggle them (usually 45 min).
4. Let the Bird Rest
When you take your bird out of the oven you are going to want to take it right to the table so people can shower you with praise, but I urge you to just hold on to your moment of glory and let the bird sit on the carving board, slightly tented for about 10 minutes. A rested bird will be juicier and more tender. Be patient.
This will also be your window to prep your pan
jus (more on that coming soon).
Now you can bring your chicken to the table to carve, or cut it into manageable pieces and present on a platter for your guests.
~ Guest post by Meaghan Misener