Perfect Roast Chicken
- 1 gallon Water
- 1/2 cups Kosher Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 whole Chicken
- 1/2 whole Lemon
- 2 whole Cloves
- 4 cloves Garlic, Peeled
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 teaspoon Salt And Pepper, to taste
- 1 whole Yellow Onion, Sliced
- Brining poultry is an easy and relatively foolproof way to ensure you end up with a juicy, succulent bird.
- The brine is simple: mix 1/2 cup kosher salt and 2 tbsp.
- sugar in a gallon of water.
- I recommend lining a large pot or bucket with a plastic bag first, then adding the chicken, tying the bag to prevent any leaks.
- You can brine for as little as an hour to as long as overnight.
- In this case, I brined the chicken for about five hours.
- After removing the chicken from the brine, give it a thorough rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
- Rub the inside of the bird with salt and pepper.
- Next, slice a lemon in half and pierce the lemon with two whole cloves.
- Add the lemon to the cavity.
- Peel four cloves of garlic and add to the cavity as well.
- If you have fresh herbs on hand, they would make a great addition.
- Next, carefully slide your hand in between the skin of the chicken and the breast to create a pocket.
- Add a tablespoon of butter to each breast and massage the butter into the chicken.
- Use any remaining butter to rub over the top of the chicken.
- Generously season with salt and pepper.
- Finally, tie the legs of the chicken together using kitchen string or twine.
- Set aside.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice one large yellow onion and line the bottom of a roasting pan or glass baking dish with the slices.
- Gently position the chicken on top of the onion slices.
- Roast at 450 degrees for 50 minutes (3-4 lb.
- chicken) to 1 1/2 hours (5-6 lb.
- chicken) or until the juices run clear and the breast temperature measures 180 degrees.
- Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
gallon water, kosher salt, sugar, chicken, lemon, garlic, butter, salt, yellow onion
Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/perfect-roast-chicken/ (may not work)