A Cooking Essential - Roasted Chicken

A whole roasted chicken is one of the most important things you can learn to cook. The principles apply to almost everything else and it's a classic, basic. Say goodbye to the days of buying the overly processed rotisary chicken at the grocery store. Trust me. This is BETTER. I'd also say its one the most impressive, simple things you can put in front of dinner guests.

The Secret: Dry Brine It Overnight

The single biggest upgrade you can make to your roast chicken is to dry brine it 12–24 hours before cooking. Pat the chicken completely dry, rub it all over (including under the breast skin if you can manage it) with kosher salt, and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. This draws moisture to the surface, which then gets reabsorbed into the meat, seasoning it from the inside out. The skin also dries out completely, which is exactly what you want for the kind of crackling, crisp skin that makes people ask you for the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, 3½–4 lbs

• Kosher salt (about 1 teaspoon per pound for the dry brine)

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• Fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage

• 1 lemon, halved

• 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally

• Olive oil

• Black pepper

Instructions

1. When you're ready to cook: Bring the chicken to room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 425°F. Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves, halved garlic head, and a few sprigs of herbs.

2. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and place in a cast iron skillet or roasting pan.

3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.

4. (Optional) Depending on your game plan for sides, add some veggies around the sides of the chicken to the pan! A great addition is carrots.

5. Roast at 425°F for 35 minutes then reduce temperature 325°F until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. This could take 20-40 minutes, make sure to continously check!

6. Rest the chicken for at least 15 minutes before carving. This is the part everyone skips. Don't skip it. The juices need time to redistribute.

What to do with the bones

Do not throw away the carcass. Cover it with cold water in a pot, add whatever vegetable scraps you have (onion, celery, carrot, parsley stems), bring to a simmer, and cook for 3–4 hours. Strain, season, and you have extraordinary chicken stock. Freeze it. Your future self will thank you.