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Yumtastic Chicken
I’m a thigh and leg kind of girl. Always have been. During my early adult years when low-fat everything was all the rage, I convinced myself that chicken breasts were what mature adults ate, but secretly, I longed for the tender meat of the leg and thigh that was usually reserved for the fat, adorable hands of the tiniest humans in the family. Full of flavor and lacking the chalky blandness of the breast, the dark meat was my guilty pleasure.
Fast forward a few years, okay, quite a few years, and I’ve decided that this mature adult is going to eat what she likes. What she likes is this Yumtastic Chicken. Even the breast. Yep. Even. The. Breast. Turns out, all those years, I was cooking chicken wrong.
Butterfly the bird so it lays flat, also known as spatchcocking, and it cooks in a fraction of the and evenly throughout. No more overdone breast and underdone thighs. This bird typically takes about 45 minutes to cook, which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner, especially when most of the prep work is done the night before.
Flavor. Flavor is what brought the breast out of banishment and back to my plate. The dry-brining process packs the meat full of flavor so every morsel tickles your tongue’s fancy. The crispy skin is like meat candy. Trust me. If the bird makes it to the table intact, it will be a miracle. Be prepared to have the whole family hovering over the bird picking at the skin before you even get it out of the pan. So yumtastic!
Yumtastic Chicken
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 roasting chicken
1 tablespoon Real Salt*
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoon dried sage leaves
½ teaspoon dried summer savory
2-3 tablespoons butter or ghee or other fat of choice
2 small lemons or one large one
Directions
*Note on salt ratio: Use 1 tablespoon of salt for a 5 pound bird. Adjust the amount of salt up or down to match the size bird you have.
The day before you want to cook the chicken, remove the back from the chicken with kitchen shears and press it to lay it flat. Or ask the butcher to do this for you at the store when you purchase the chicken. Pat it dry with paper towels. Mix the salt and spices together in a bowl.
Gently lift the skin and rub some of the salt mixture all over the bird, making sure to get the bottom of the bird as well. Sprinkle the rest of the salt mixture over the top of the bird.
Set the chicken in a baking dish and place it in the refrigerator overnight. It is best if the chicken is left uncovered. This seems gross, but it will be okay. I promise. This allows the salt on the skin to dry it out a bit and will make the skin super crispy. It does not make the meat overly dry, though.
The next day: Remove the chicken to the counter while you prep your side dishes and melt the butter or ghee in a small saucepan. Add the juice of one small or ½ a large lemon. Brush the butter and lemon juice mixture all over the bird, even the underside of it. Toss a few extra slices of lemon in with the bird.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer in the breast registers 160 degrees F or the juices run clear. Start checking at 30 minutes. Allow the chicken to rest for about 10-15 minutes while you finish the side dishes.
Note: The chicken and the Lemon Roasted Carrots and Parsnips can be placed in the oven at the same time. After you remove the chicken from the oven, crank the oven up to 425 to 450 degrees and finish roasting the vegetables while the chicken rests. Don’t forget to save the bones, even the back piece that was removed, to make broth.
