Herb-Roasted Buttermilk Chicken
Yields: 5-7 servings
Time: Overnight prep, cooks about 1 hour
Buttermilk is the easiest way to add flavor and moisture to a roasted chicken. The acidity of the buttermilk makes the meat fall-off-the-bone tender while the fat flavors every bite. Using an herb butter under the skin adds a lovely aromatic note to the meat as well. Serve this sumptuous chicken with your favorite roasted root vegetables and a side of fresh greens.
Chicken Ingredients:
4-5 lb. free-range whole chicken
Buttermilk
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Unsalted butter, softened
Dried parsley, basil, rosemary and thyme
Garlic
White onion
Celery
Carrot
Lemon wedges
Olive oil
Dry white wine
Vegetable Ingredients (Suggested):
Multi-colored whole carrots
Turnip
White onion
Sweet potato
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Special Equipment:
Cast iron skillet
Pastry brush
Butchers twine
Directions
Step One:
Generously season chicken with kosher salt, inside the cavity as well. Let sit at room temp for 30 minutes. Rinse salt off chicken and dry. Place in a plastic shopping bag (or any plastic bag large enough to fit the whole chicken). Pour in enough buttermilk to cover the chicken, about 2 cups. Seal bag and refrigerate overnight.
Step Two:
Next day, remove chicken from buttermilk and pat as dry as possible with paper towels. Fill cavity of the chicken with one wedge each of celery, white onion, carrot, lemon, and garlic. Let chicken come completely to room temperature before cooking. If you skip this step your chicken will still be raw on the inside.
Step Three:
In a small bowl, mix 1/2 stick of butter with all dried herbs, about 1 tsp each or to your taste. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
With your pointer finger, gently separate the skin of the breast from the meat. There is a natural separation of the skin on the breasts that continues down into the thighs and legs. Evenly distribute the butter mixture under the skin and massage into the meat, making sure to cover both breasts and both legs.
Use butchers twine to tie the legs together. If you don’t have twine that’s okay, it’s more useful for the aesthetic of the dish; it will not affect cooking time.
Step Four:
Place cast iron skillet in the middle rack of the oven. Preheat oven to 500º. You want the skillet to preheat with the oven.
Step Six:
While oven is heating, chop up your chosen veggies, about 1 cup of each. I prefer larger wedges for potatoes and onion. Carrots and turnips can be cut on a sharp bias. Lightly coat veggies in olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
If you chose to use sweet potatoes, they will need to cook on a separate baking sheet as they cook much faster than the aforementioned veggies.
Step Seven:
When oven is up to temp, very carefully remove skillet. Place veggies (except sweet potato) on the bottom of the pan. Place chicken on top of veggies, tucking the front wings beneath the ribcage. Brush the chicken with olive oil or dollop with more butter. Sprinkle generously with kosher salt.
Place chicken legs first on the middle rack and roast for 20 minutes.
Step Eight:
In a small bowl, melt a few tablespoons of butter. Whisk in 1/2 cup of white wine. This will be your basting liquid. After 20 minutes, lower oven temperature to 400º. Carefully pull out oven rack and baste chicken with wine mixture using a pastry brush.
Continue to roast chicken for another 40-60 minutes, basting every 20 minutes. If you are making sweet potatoes, add them in on a separate tray when the chicken has 30 minutes left to cook.
Internal temperature of the chicken will be between 150º-165º. To me, 165º is too dry- I aim for 155º. Another test for doneness is to wiggle one of the legs and see if it feels loose in the joint. If it feels tight, it’s not ready yet.
If you want the skin slightly more browned, stick it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes.
Step Nine:
Place chicken on a cutting board and let rest for at least 30 minutes. Test one of the veggies in the skillet for seasoning and adjust if needed. To keep veggies warm you can turn off the oven and place skillet inside while it cools.
Once rested, carve chicken into desired pieces. Remove all butchers twine. Place chicken back in with veggies and serve from the skillet- it will help keep everything warm!
Oh! Jus!
Sometimes gravy is too heavy for roasted chicken but you still want another way to add in extra moisture and flavor. This quick and easy au jus is the key! When the chicken is resting, remove all veggies from skillet, leaving all those lovely chicken juices. Place skillet on the stove top over medium heat. Begin to scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add in about 1 cup of white wine and 1/2 cup of water (or chicken stock if you have it on hand). Bring to a boil. Make a corn starch slurry with 1 tsp. of corn starch and 1 tbsp. of water. Whisk into jus and boil until slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper.. Once slightly thickened and reduced, strain jus into a gravy bowl using a fine mesh sieve and enjoy!
