Simple Whole Roasted Chicken
Roasted chicken dish with unique ingredients that roasts beautifully and is surprisingly fast once it's in the oven.
Roasted chicken dish with unique ingredients that roasts beautifully and is surprisingly fast once it's in the oven.
- Carbohydrate 1.96578801454485 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0460615518162393 g
- Fiber 0.147349300737055 g
- Protein 0.275887051282051 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0177438146367521 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (5g)
- Sodium 0.814214476495727 mg
- Sugar 1.81843871380779 g
- Trans Fat 0.012197749732906 g
- Calories 9 calories
Step-by-step
- In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Rub the chicken with the mixture. Cover chicken, and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
- Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
- Stuff the chicken cavity with the garlic. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan.
- Roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C), and continue roasting 15 minutes. Baste chicken with pan drippings, reduce heat to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C), and continue roasting 30 minutes, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Let stand 20 minutes before serving.
The ingredient list omits the chemical transformation that happens during the 24-hour dry brining process. Salt draws out surface moisture, dissolves, and is reabsorbed to season the meat throughout while drying the skin for better crisping. Spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice contain volatile aromatic compounds that bond well to poultry fat during the initial high-heat roast at 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Starting breast-side down protects the lean breast meat from direct heat during the first 15 minutes. Storing the cooked bird in an airtight container within the refrigerator provides a safe window of three to four days for subsequent meals. Cold leftover slices excel when diced into grain bowls or shredded into broths without reheating, which prevents the lean protein from drying out further. Fresh whole spices yield a sharper aroma than pre-ground jars sitting in the pantry for months. When repurposing the chilled meat, pair it with acid-heavy dressings or sharp vinegars to balance the warm, sweet notes of the spice rub remaining on the skin.
