Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken

Buttermilk Marinated Roasted Chicken

Buttermilk marinated chicken is an old  classic from the  American south which,to be honest, I’d mostly forgotten about. That is until I discovered  Simin Nosrat’s Buttermilk Roasted Chicken which I’ve been making almost weekly since her wonderful cookbook Salt Fat Acid Heat landed on my kitchen table. Honestly, this is a cookbook you just can’t put down. The book is as much about the joy of eating as it is about cooking. Simin’s infectious enthusiasm for food and her enlightening insights on how to cook and what to expect are gonna inspire great things happening in your own kitchen.

If you have not had a chance to see Simin’s four part TV series Salt Fat Acid Heat do be sure to do so. It is a visual feast that’s going to energizes your inner cook.

The recipe that follows is adapted slightly in that I like to divide the chicken into four parts which eliminates carving once the chicken is roasted. I’ve also included the option of adding fresh herbs to the buttermilk marinade. Otherwise the recipe is as it appears in the book. This is a roasted chicken you can count on to deliver a deeply browned crispy skin and juicy tender meat time and time again.

Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken    serves 4

• 3 ½ -to 4 pound chicken
• kosher or flaky sea salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• sprigs of fresh rosemary or thyme (optional)

Remove the backbone and divide the chicken into four pieces. Generously season the chicken with salt and set aside for 30 minutes.

Pour the buttermilk into a non-reactive bowl just large enough to hold the chicken and the marinade. Add 2 tablespoons of salt and the herbs if using and stir to dissolve the salt.

Brush off excess salt from the chicken and place the chicken in the marinade. Turn the chicken several times. Seal with cling film and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator an hour before roasting.

Preheat the oven to 425 f/220 c with the rack set in the center position.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off excess marinade. Place the chicken in a cast iron skillet or shallow roasting pan. Tuck sprigs of fresh herbs between the chicken pieces if using.

Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven with the legs pointed toward the rear left corner of the oven and breast pieces pointing towards the center of the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 400 f/ 200 c and continue roasting for 10 minutes. Then shift the pan so the legs are facing the back right corner of the oven.

Continue roasting for another 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is well browned all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh.

When the chicken is done remove the pan from the oven, lightly cover with foil, and let the chicken rest 10 minute before serving.

Note: If you don’t have buttermilk substitute plain yogurt.