The good news is that my Best Ever Salt and Pepper Roasted Chicken with Herbs is also about the easiest ever roasted chicken! The bad news is that you can’t have this for dinner tonight. The secret to a super moist and flavorful bird is to season generously and let it sit in the refrigerator for 48 hours. Another key factor is to buy the best, small, free range chicken you can find. (I found these at Whole Foods) My technique is based on the recipe for the roasted chicken from Zuni Cafe in San Francisco.
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Two 3-31/2 pound free range chickens
Kosher Salt
Course ground black pepper
8 sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme
Rinse chickens and pat dry inside and out. (remove the fatty lump in the cavity as well as the packet of innards if present) Gently loosen the skin from the breasts and thighs so that you can tuck an herb sprig between the skin and the meat…being careful not to tear the skin. Season all over with salt and pepper (around 3 teaspoons salt per bird) being sure to season the meatier parts more thoroughly than the boney parts. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine, cover loosely and refrigerate for 48 hours (and up to 3 days).
Remove chickens from refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a 10 inch cast iron skillet in oven for 10 minutes to get hot. Wipe the chickens to dry thoroughly with paper towels. Nestle the chickens into the hot skillet and roast for 40 minutes or until breast meat is between 150-160 degrees. Let rest for 15 minutes then cut into halves or quarters with a heavy knife and serve on the bone.
Serves 4-6
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bitesizedjessica
January 9, 2013 at 8:24 pmThis is such a lovely recipe and your photos are beautiful! A whole roast chicken is one of my favorite meals to make. So simple, but so good!