Buttermilk-Brined Roast Chicken

100No. 71

Two days of nothing, then the juiciest bird you have cooked.

⏱ 1 hr 30 min · easy · 🍽 serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, 4 lb
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp honey, optional
• Black pepper

Steps

1. Salt the chicken all over the day before and refrigerate uncovered overnight.
2. Whisk the buttermilk with the honey and pour it over the bird in a bag or bowl. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours, turning once.
3. Pull it out an hour before cooking and wipe off most of the buttermilk, leaving a thin film. Too much and it burns.
4. Heat the oven to 425F. Roast in a skillet, breast up, 20 minutes, then turn the pan and reduce to 400F.
5. Cook 50 to 60 minutes more until the thigh reads 165F and the skin is dark in patches.
6. Rest 15 minutes before carving.