Brian in the Kitchen Recipes
BRIAN IN THE KITCHEN brought to you by Stittsworth Meats
August 13 2015
Roasted (and perfectly moist) Chicken
1 4-pound whole chicken (DO NOT RINSE)
1 Roasting Rack
1 Roasting Pan
Salt and Pepper
First, let your chicken come to room temperature before you roast it. Take your chicken out of the fridge at least 45 minutes before you start roasting it. If it’s still refrigerator-cold when you put it in the oven, your cooking time will be longer, and your chicken won’t be as tender.
Rinsing your chicken just spreads gross raw chicken germs all over your sink. If you cook the meat to the proper temperature (165 degrees), any dangerous germs or bacteria will be killed anyway.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Dry your chicken REALLY WELL on the outside...AND on the inside.
Any excess moisture will create steam and actually make your chicken drier. So use paper towels to pat your chicken dry on the outside. Then, grab a few more paper towels and stick them inside the cavity; it’ll feel weird, and you’re going to pull out some gross gunk, but this step is absolutely essential to the awesomeness of your resulting chicken.
Next, sprinkle kosher salt and pepper inside the chicken cavity.
Then you’re gonna truss your chicken with butchers twine. If you don't know how, ask your butcher!
Season the outside of your chicken with lots of salt and some pepper. A 4-pound chicken will need about a tablespoon. Don’t just pour salt out of a container; use your hand to sprinkle salt all over the chicken to ensure that it’s evenly coated.
Place the chicken breast side up on a rack over a roasting pan. Put it in the 450°F oven for 50–60 minutes.
Four hundred and fifty degrees is hot! Roasting your chicken at super high heat crisps the skin and cooks the meat as quickly as possible so that it doesn’t get dry.
No flipping, no basting, no checking on the chicken unless smoke starts pouring out.
Your chicken is done when its internal temperature is 165 degrees. When your chicken is cooked, take it off the rack and set it on the cutting board, then wait 15 minutes before you do anything else. Letting the chicken “rest” gives the juices a chance to settle, so that they soak into your meat and flavor it, instead of just flowing out onto the cutting board.