Crisp Savory Roast Chicken
This recipe is a perennial favorite in my home. Over the years, I’ve experimented with many techniques, and this one is easily the best. Brining keeps the meat moist, and brining with konbu adds an amazing savory succulence. To get crackling skin over the juicy meat, I broil the cut pieces just before serving. The combination of textures is out of this world.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
BRINE
CHICKEN
Preparation
Step 1
To prepare the brine, crush the thyme, basil, and rosemary with your hands and drop into a large, deep bowl or pot. Add the konbu, lemon, salt, sugar, and 1 gallon hot water. Stir until the salt and sugar dissolve. Set inside a large bowl of ice and water (or simply refrigerate) and stir until cool.
Step 2
Completely submerge the chicken in the brine. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 12 hours.
Step 3
To roast the chicken, preheat the oven to 350°F. Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
Step 4
Remove the chicken from the brine; discard the brine. Use paper towels to pat the chicken completely dry. Stuff with the lemon, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and basil. Truss the chicken by tying together the legs and securing the wings against the body with kitchen twine. Use a sharp knife to score each leg and thigh with 3 long cuts, each 1/2 inch deep, to ensure that the dark meat is cooked through before the breast dries out. Rub 1 teaspoon oil all over the chicken and set it on the rack. Place in the oven, cavity side facing front.
Step 5
Roast for 25 minutes, then rotate the pan and roast for 20 minutes longer. Raise the oven temperature to 375°F and roast for 10 minutes longer or until the juices run clear when you tip the chicken. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes.
Step 6
Heat the oven to broil. Arrange the oven rack 6 inches from the heat source.
Step 7
Cut the chicken into 4 pieces (2 breasts, 2 whole legs). Return to the rack, skin side up. Drizzle with a little oil, then broil until the skin is crackling and crisp, about 2 minutes.
Step 8
Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and pour the pan juices all over. Sprinkle with pepper and serve with lemon wedges.
c’est bon
Step 9
The wire rack you use for cooling cookies can do double duty as a roasting rack. Simply set it inside a rimmed baking sheet. By roasting a chicken—or anything for that matter—on a rack, you get even heat circulation all around and avoid a soggy bottom. Also, raising the food above the rim of the pan helps it brown nicely.
