Chicken, Duck, and Other Poultry

Appears in

Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share

Published 2009

About

Notes on Roast Chicken

Choosing a Chicken for Roasting

The quality of a chicken is especially important when cooking in clay. Chickens are labeled so many different ways that choosing the best available can be confusing. Here are some grades and brands available at retail locations nationwide that I particularly trust: European-style air-dried or air-chilled chickens; brands such as Bell & Evans, Smart Chickens, and Maverick Ranch Chickens, as well as 100-percent certified organic and free-range chickens. (The problem with so-called “all natural” chickens is that the USDA allows up to 15 percent saltwater processing and all kinds of feed. Always check the label to ensure there’s been no saltwater processing, which dilutes flavor and adds weight to the bird.) Kosher chicken is a good safe choice, but remember not to salt it as it has already been subjected to a mild salt brine.

Preparing a Chicken for Roasting

Except when I’m using a kosher chicken, I use the presalting technique espoused by Chef Judy Rodgers of the Zuni Café in San Francisco: Pat the bird dry all over. Salt the chicken inside and out using 1 teaspoon coarse salt for every 1½ pounds of chicken. Refrigerate uncovered on a paper towel–lined rack for at least one and up to two days.

Please note: Large roaster chickens (as opposed to broiler-fryers) require less seasoning, because they have naturally developed deeper, richer flavors due to age and feed.