Buttermilk Roast Chicken

Helga Glaesel de BlandingMay 14, 2019

This post is also available in / Esta entrada también está disponible en ESPAÑOL (SPANISH)

Our friend Edith, from @RockingTheKitchen, recommended the Netflix food series Salt Fat Acid Heat which was a delight to view. We picked up a lot of helpful tips! The recipe I knew I needed to try was this Buttermilk Roast Chicken. It is so easy to prepare, and the best part is that it is a make ahead dish.

You let it marinate for 1 day and then you just pat it dry and put it in the oven. The important tips we picked up from this recipe to ensure a tasty chicken is:

Salt generously.
Use buttermilk, the fat content will make your chicken juicy and it is what gives it that great crust.
Use the oven correctly: position the chicken with the legs facing the back of the oven, towards the left for a total of 30 minutes. And then rotate the legs towards the right for another 30 minutes. It looks so evenly cooked this way! The details for temperature and timing are on the procedure steps below.
A very important tip when roasting any meat: let it come to room temperature before putting it in the oven. This will ensure even cooking, and in the case of chicken or turkey, prevent the skin from ripping as it cooks. We will definitely use this tip when turkey time comes around.

I had to keep myself from adding spices or herbs to this chicken, which is what I would normally do. But I wanted to taste the original recipe exactly as it was. It came out juicy, moist, and with the most delicious roast chicken flavor. Of course, you can add spices and herbs, such as rosemary, onions, and garlic inside the chicken’s cavity. Sprinkle with pepper and maybe a little paprika or Italian seasoning. It’s up to you, but you should really try the original recipe!

I make this all the time as part of my weekday meals now, because it’s so simple to make. I do add a little rosemary and garlic to the cavity, and sometimes sprinkle some spices on top for a little variety. My family loves this, we usually have it with roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli. Let us know if you try it at home!

Helga

Buttermilk Roast Chicken

Recipe adapted from Samin Nosrat
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3½ to 4-pound chicken (about 1.5 kilograms)
Salt
Pepper
2 cups (475 ml.) buttermilk

Procedure:

The day before you want to cook the chicken, season it generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.
Stir 2 tablespoons of coarse salt or 4 teaspoons fine sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. Close tightly!
Seal it, work the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate.
Remove the chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C), with a rack set in the center position. Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can. Tightly tie together the legs of the chicken with a piece of butcher’s twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch shallow roasting pan.
Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven (the back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this position protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done). Soon you should hear the chicken sizzling.
After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400°F and continue roasting for 10 minutes and then move the pan so the legs are facing the back right corner of the oven.
Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh.
When the chicken’s done, remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Have you made this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture with the hashtag #thefoodieskitchen!

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