Roasted chicken is a weekly staple at my table. My dinners are decidedly veggie centric and a simple roasted chicken serves as the perfect accompaniment. There are literally dozens of ways to roast a chicken. Magical mixtures of herbs and seasonings collude to transform the most ordinary of fowl, to an extraordinary masterpiece. Americans consume eight millions chickens per year, making it the most popular form of protein to grace our palettes. This format of roasting chicken takes a bit of forethought. Beyond that, the simplicity of the recipe turns out one gorgeous bird.
1 Chicken {preferably organic}
2 Tbsp Butter, melted and separated
Salt
Pepper
Cumin
Garlic Powder
Fresh Herbs {Bay Leaf, Rosemary, Oregano, Etc.}
The evening before roasting…..
I typically spatchcock my chicken. Spatchcocking is the simple act of removing the backbone. It all but ensures even roasting. Run a filet knife perpendicular to the backbone, cutting down each side. Remove the backbone, discard and turn the chicken breast side up.
With a large knife and a little muscle, flatten the breast bone. Baste the chicken with one tablespoon of the melted butter evenly. Sprinkle the entire chicken with salt, liberally. Make sure to season the cavity as well.
Place the salt cured chicken onto a foiled cookie sheet and rack. Refrigerate overnight on a cleared shelf. I implore you to fight the urge to cover this. The magic is in the air hitting the salted skin and curing it.
On roasting day…..
Preheat the oven to 400*. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Season the chicken liberally with cumin, pepper, and garlic powder. Place the herbs under the cavity on the rack. Place in the oven and roast for an hour, basting with the remaining tablespoon of butter every fifteen minutes. The chicken is complete when the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh is 165*.
The extra step of salt curing the night before is worth ever minute of extra effort. This method presents chicken with a gorgeous brown hue, crispy skin and succulent meat inside. My absolute favorite. Enjoy.