This past Saturday, we processed 101 chickens and so Sunday I took one to the fire station. I was looking for a simple recipe and I found one that is my new favorite.
The ingredient list is really simple:
1 whole 4-5 lb. pasture raised, soy free, organic grain fed chicken
Unrefined Sea Salt (we use Sea 90)
Black pepper
You may also add fresh herbs such as rosemary and thyme to stuff in the cavity if you so wish.
The instructions are equally simple.
Start with a DRY bird, if you wash, be sure to pat it dry, and make sure there’s no excess moisture.
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
Cover the bird all over with course, unrefined sea salt.
Sprinkle black pepper to taste.
Stuff the cavity with your choice of herbs.
Truss the legs.*
Place bird in a well seasoned cast iron pan uncovered.
Place in oven for 60 – 90 minutes.
While it is in the oven DO NOT open the door to look at it. If you’re lookin’ you’re not cookin’. The cooking time is approximate, small birds take less time, larger ones require more. Now a note about *trussing a bird. When we process, we cut a small slit in the skin above our cut for eviscerating. We then tuck both legs into this slit and this hold the legs together nicely. If you buy a chicken from somewhere else and the legs aren’t trussed already, you can take what is known as kitchen twine and simply tie the legs together. This helps the bird to cook evenly. You can get all fancy tying the wings but it’s not necessary.
Our birds come with a nice dose of vitamin rich fat so about half way through you will start to hear it sizzle. When you have about 20 minutes left to cook, reduce the heat to 375, baste it with it’s juices, and let it cook some more. After it’s done, take it out of the oven, and smear the skin with some raw, grass fed butter. Let it rest for 15 minutes then serve.
I ate half of this delicious bird in one sitting, it was so good, I almost ate the rest. The skin is salty and crispy. The breast is juicy all the way through. This goes great with green beans parboiled then sauteed in olive oil and butter.
I had the other half cold today and it was almost as good as it was fresh from the oven. I gave both of my nephews and my mom a taste and their eyes said it before they could speak.
