Bon Appetit - October 2017

A roast chicken is

a blank canvas. But after

years of trying messy

marinades, multiday

brines, and all manner

of buttery slathers and

bastes, we hold this truth

to be self-evident: Nothing

changes the flavor of

a roasted bird as quickly

and dramatically as a

throw-together dry rub.

Mix together spices. Rub

on chicken. Done. And

when the heady aroma

of toasty spices and crispy

skin start wafting out of

the oven, we think you’ll

be a believer too.

Use

a

Dry

Rub

This Bird

Is the Word

Does the world really need another roast chicken recipe? Well, if you ask us, it
absolutely does need this one, but the rest of them can hit the bricks. That’s because
our Cast-Iron Roast Chicken has been tirelessly tested and optimized to cut out all
of those annoying steps that people swear are crucial (brining it; flipping it every 15
minutes; basting it fastidiously) and still produce the best possible bird. Every. Single.
Time. It’s simple, it’s memorizable, and it’s here to stay. Here’s what’s special about it.

THE CHICKEN

Size matters. This isn’t the time for a

mammoth Oven Stuffer, nor do we want

some petite poussin—a 3½–4-lb. bird has

the proportions we’re after. When the

breasts are roasted to perfection, all that

dark meat is on-the-nose-done too.

We won’t lecture you about how pasture-

raised birds taste better (they do!), but we

will advocate for “air-chilled” chickens—

their flavor isn’t diluted by an ice water bath.

THE VESSEL

Nothing compares to cast iron.

Whether you’re using a standard skillet or

an enameled baking dish, the material’s

heat-retention qualities can’t be matched

by any tempered glass or even stainless-

steel vessels. And heating it in the oven first

means that the bottom of the bird starts to

sizzle and brown as soon as it goes in—no

flipping required and no unappealingly

pale, flabby underside.

THE SEASONING

There are a lot of theories out there about

how to season a chicken. Submerge it in

brine. Salt it 24 hours ahead and let it air-

dry. Wrap it in seaweed. But we found that

the only truly nonnegotiables are (a) being

generous with the kosher salt inside and out

and (b) letting the chicken sit out for at least

an hour, which gives the seasoning time

to work its way deep into the meat, meaning

every bite is delicious through and through.

THE REST

Any recipe out there worth its wing tip

will tell you that a chicken needs to rest

post-roast and pre-carving. But we found

that waiting a full 20 minutes (compared

to a measly five to 15) yields the best results.

The juices in the bird need that much time

to be reabsorbed by the meat, period. No,

it won’t get cold. It will just be the juiciest

chicken you’ve ever tasted. And you won’t

burn your fingers carving the thing, either.

...AND HOW

TO MAKE

IT YOUR OWN

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS...

FOOD STYLING BY REBECCA JURKEVICH. PROP STYLING BY

REBECCA BARTOSHESKY. ILLUSTRATIONS BY TIM LAHAN.

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