Dry Brined Roast Chicken Recipes

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• One day before serving, I pat the chicken dry, inside and out, using paper towels. Remove any excess fat from the chicken's cavity.
• Combine the salt, herbs and black pepper. Sprinkle evenly all over the chicken and inside the cavity and rub the mixture into the skin.
• Place the chicken on a rack which sits in a baking pan and place, uncovered, in the fridge overnight. See Note 7
• Remove the chicken from the fridge about one hour before roasting to bring it to room temperature. If it is a hot day, remove it about a half hour before cooking.Meanwhile, line a roasting pan with non-stick baking paper. See Note 8
• Preheat your oven to 230C (450 F).
• Place two of the onion quarters inside the cavity of the chicken. Pat the chicken dry. Do not rub the salt off.
• For more even cooking, truss the chicken using your method of choice. I use a simple method. I tuck the wings behind the back of the chicken. Then, cross the legs and secure them firmly with kitchen twine.
• Place the remaining vegetables in the roasting pan and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil. The vegetables form a trivet on which to place the chicken.
• Brush the chicken all over with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and place, breast-side up, on the bed of vegetables.
• Put the chicken in the oven and reduce heat immediately to 200 C/400 F.Roast for about 1 hour 10 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the size of the chicken and varying temperatures of ovens.To check that the chicken is done, insert a sharp knife between the thigh and the chicken body. When cooked, the juices should run clear. Alternatively, use an instant-read thermometer. It should register at 75C (165 F) when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, but not touching the bone.
• Once cooked, remove the chicken from the oven, transfer to a warm plate and cover loosely with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
• Serve with the vegetables in the pan. If you wish, use the juices from the pan to make gravy.

DRY BRINED ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Remove chicken from packaging, remove giblet packet from cavity, and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels. Place in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Mix salt, orange zest, rosemary, and thyme together in a small bowl; rub 3/4 of the mixture all over outside of chicken; rub remaining mixture inside cavity. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 3 days.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove plastic wrap from chicken.
• Bake chicken in preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 2 to 2 1/2 hours depending on size. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove chicken from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 20 minutes before carving.

ZUNI CAFé CHICKEN

Steps:

• Season the chicken 1 to 3 days before serving (for 3 1/4- to 3 1/2-pound chickens, at least 2 days): Remove and discard the lump of fat inside the chicken. Pat the chicken very dry (a wet chicken will spend too much time steaming before it begins to turn golden brown).
• Slide a finger under the skin of each of the breasts, making 2 little pockets, then use a fingertip to gently loosen a pocket of skin on the outside of the thickest section of each thigh. Push an herb sprig into each of the 4 pockets.
• Using about 3/4 teaspoon sea salt per pound of chicken and pepper to taste, season the chicken liberally all over with salt and the pepper. Sprinkle a little of the salt just inside the cavity and on the backbone. Twist and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders. Cover loosely and refrigerate.
• When you're ready to cook the chicken, heat the oven to 475 degrees. Depending on your oven and the size of your bird, you may need to adjust the heat to as high as 500 degrees or as low as 450 degrees during roasting to brown the chicken properly.
• Choose a shallow flameproof roasting pan or dish barely larger than the chicken, or use a 10-inch skillet with an all-metal handle. Preheat the pan over medium heat. Wipe the chicken dry and set it breast side up in the pan. It should sizzle.
• Place in the center of the oven and watch for it to start sizzling and browning within 20 minutes. If it doesn't, raise the temperature progressively until it does. The skin should blister, but if the chicken begins to char, or the fat is smoking, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees. After about 30 minutes, turn the bird over (drying the bird and preheating the pan should keep the skin from sticking). Roast for another 10 to 20 minutes, depending on size, then flip back over to re-crisp the breast skin, another 5 to 10 minutes. Total oven time will be 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Remove the chicken from the roasting pan and set on a plate. Pour the clear fat from the pan, leaving the drippings. Add about a tablespoon of water to the hot pan and swirl. Slash the stretched skin between the thighs and breasts of the chicken, then tilt the bird and plate over the roasting pan to drain the juice into the drippings. As the chicken rests, tilt the roasting pan and skim the last of the fat. Place over medium-low heat, add any juice that has collected under the chicken, and bring to a simmer. Stir and scrape.
• Cut the chicken into pieces and pour the pan drippings over the chicken.