One thing I love is when I bite into roast chicken and the skin is as crisp as a potato chip and not soggy or gummy. With this simple method, you can get your chicken super crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside, without having to use added fats.
Source: Adjusted from an old episode of America's Test Kitchen
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
I use the fat that drips out to make potato roasties. It's absolutely dreamy.
Steps:
- Wash chicken and pat dry, inside and out.
- Cut a bunch of slits down the back of the chicken's spine.
- Cut tiny slits next to legs and thighs and loosen the skin around the legs. Loosen the skin around the entire breasts, as well. If you like, truss the chicken.
- Mix together the salt, baking powder, and black pepper. Sprinkle all over the chicken.
- Put it on a rack in a roasting pan and set in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 12 hours.
- Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the chicken breast side down and roast on the rack in a deep foil-covered pan (it will drip lots of excess fat) for 25 minutes.
- Flip the chicken breast-side up and roast until temperature hits 135; about 20 minutes.
- Turn the heat up to 500 degrees. Cook until chicken is 160 degrees; another 10 or so minutes.
