I love the flavour of a high-quality bird, so I don’t mess too much with it – just butter, lemon, a few herbs, and a fierce amount of salt. I do, however, commit skin heresy: I find there’s enough crisp deliciousness on the back & legs without worrying about the breast, so I cook it upside-down to get the silkiest breast meat. And the period of neglect was a happy accident. I was prepping a chicken, out-of-town friends called up, I went out, and roasted it the next day. I’ve since read about the technique in other places, among them Cooking for Mr. Latte.
Ingredients:
- 1 3-lb free-range chicken
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs (I like tarragon or herbes de Provence) or 1 scant teaspoon dried
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 lemon
Instructions:
- The day before you roast the chicken, mix the butter, salt and herbs in a small bowl and rub them into the chicken, inside and out. Place breast-down on a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for 24 hours.
- The following day, move the chicken to a roasting pan and push the lemon half into its cavity. Roast at 375F for 75-90 minutes, or until your thermometer says it’s done. You can make a pan gravy with a little extra chicken stock, or just spoon the buttery juices over each portion. That’s it!