The last time (and probably the only time since the pandemic began) I had friends over for dinner and some games of Mah Jongg was that period around this past Thanksgiving between the time that Delta was waning and Omicron had not yet started. For the past six or seven years I have been making this amazing – and very simple – roasted chicken that has been marinated overnight in buttermilk. I don’t remember where I found the recipe but I promise you – you will never taste a moister or juicier roasted chicken and it is also a work of art when it comes out of the oven. If you make it – and really, you must! – drop me a line letting me know what you thought. OMG – everyone who has made it says the same thing to me: YUM!

Buttermilk-Marinated Roasted Chicken

4 servings

Ingredients (only three ingredients!):

1 chicken, 3 1/2 to 4 pounds

Kosher salt or fine sea salt (regarding Kosher salt quantity, this recipe is written for Diamond Crystal in the red box. If you have Morton’s in the blue box, which is twice as salty by volume, you should use 1/2 as much – this 1T in this recipe instead of 2T)

2 cups buttermilk

Directions:

The day before you want to cook the chicken, remove the wingtips by cutting through the first wing joint with poultry shears or a sharp knife. Reserve for stock. Season chicken generously with salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.

Stir 2 tablespoons kosher salt or 4 teaspoons fine sea salt into the buttermilk to dissolve. Place the chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. (If the chicken won’t fit in a gallon-size bag, double up 2 plastic produce bags to prevent leaks and tie the bag with twine.)

Seal the bag, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. If you’re so inclined, you can turn the bag periodically so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but that’s not essential.

Pull the chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it. Heat the oven to 425 

degrees with a rack set in the center position.

Remove the chicken from the plastic bag and scrape off as much buttermilk as you can without being obsessive. Tightly tie together the legs with a piece of butcher’s twine. Place the chicken in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a shallow roasting pan.

Slide the pan all the way to the back of the oven on the center rack. Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven. (The back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done.) Pretty quickly you should hear the chicken sizzling.

After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and continue roasting for 10 minutes.

Move the pan so the legs are facing the rear right corner of the oven. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is brown all over and the juices run clear when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh. If the skin is getting too brown before it is cooked through, use a foil tent. Remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

It ALWAYS comes out looking exactly like this…perfect and gorgeous!