Don’t be scared by the amount of salt in this recipe as the end result is not salty. What you are left with is crispy skin brimming with flavour and juice that can be used on it’s own, drizzled over the sliced chicken or made into a gravy.
This is not a ‘leave and forget’ recipe, this is a hands on, cook while your preparing the vegetables or salad for your dinner type recipe.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
2 tbs salt (or more) – cooking salt with a course grain
1 tbs pepper, freshly ground
2 tbs butter
Method
If you have time, prepare the chicken in the morning by covering the skin completely with the salt and pepper then leave it in the fridge, uncovered. This is a dry brine and will dry out the skin and assist with the meat remaining succulent once cooked. If you don’t have time for this step, don’t worry, it’s still going to taste amazing.
Pre heat the oven to 220°C / 430°F
When you are almost ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge and leave to ‘warm up’ before cooking in the oven. 30 mins to 1 hour will be fine.
Dot the butter evenly over the chicken and underneath and place with breast down.
Place in the oven, uncovered, and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and turn the chicken over so breast is up. Place back in the oven and cook for another 20 minutes.
Remove and turn over again so breast is down. Cook for another 20 minutes.
Remove for the last time and turn it so the breast is up and cook till the temperature is 73°C / 165°F at the thickest part of the thigh or till the juices run clear when pierced.
Leave it to rest for at least 10 minutes.
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 tbs salt (or more) – cooking salt with a course grain
- 1 tbs pepper, freshly ground
- 2 tbs butter
- If you have time, prepare the chicken in the morning by covering the skin completely with the salt and pepper then leave it in the fridge, uncovered. This is a dry brine and will dry out the skin and assist with the meat remaining succulent once cooked. If you don’t have time don’t worry, it’s still going to taste amazing.
- Pre heat the oven to 220°C / 430°F
- When you are almost ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge and leave to ‘warm up’ before cooking in the oven. 30 mins to 1 hour will be fine.
- Dot the butter evenly over the chicken and underneath and place with breast down.
- Place in the oven, uncovered, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and turn the chicken over so breast is up. Place back in the oven and cook for another 20 minutes.
- Remove and turn over again so breast is down. Cook for another 20 minutes.
- Remove for the last time and turn it so the breast is up and cook till the temperature is 73°C / 165°F at the thickest part of the thigh or till the juices run clear when pierced.
- Leave it to rest for at least 10 minutes.