Buttermilk-Marinated Roasted Chicken w/ Lemon & Garlic

(Formulated by the Hedonista)

This roasted chicken is so wonderful!  By marinating the chicken in buttermilk overnight the flavor becomes so buttery and the skin roasts to a beautiful brown color.. Really divine! And simple.  So we can just enjoy and not stress it.


INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 ½- 4 pound regenerative pastured chicken

  • Coarse Kosher Salt

  • 3 cups of buttermilk -or- 1/2 cup buttermilk powder &  3 ½ cups filtered water

  • Head of garlic, minced

  • 2 lemons, slices ⅛ inch thick


DIRECTIONS:

The day before you want to cook the chicken, season it generously with coarse salt and let sit for 30 minutes.

Stir 2 Tablespoons of coarse salt into buttermilk and let it dissolve.  Place the chicken into a gallon size resealable bag and pour in the buttermilk.  

Seal it, squish the buttermilk all around the chicken, place in a large bowl or rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 24 hours.  Turn the bag a couple times while refrigerating to make sure all of the chicken gets marinated.  

Pull chicken from the fridge an hour before you plan to cook it.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (F), with the rack set in the center position.

Remove the chicken from the bag and scrape off as much of the buttermilk as you can without being obsessive.  Cut slits in the skin large enough to squeeze in some of the lemons and garlic.  Stuff the rest of the lemons and garlic into the cavity. Tightly tie together the legs of the chicken with a piece of butcher’s twine.  Place the chicken on a roasting pan rack or a cast iron 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 (back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breasts from overcooking before the legs are done).  

After about 20 minutes, when the chicken starts to brown and sizzle, reduce the heat to 400 degrees (F) and continue roasting for 10 minutes.  Then move the pan so the legs are facing the back right corner of the oven.

Continue cooking for 30-40  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 thigh.  

When the chicken is done, remove it to a platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.


ENJOY!