Salted Chicken Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S SALT ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Dry the outside of chicken with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips underneath the chicken and place into a large oven-safe skillet. Use scissors to snip off the tail, if desired.
• Generously sprinkle kosher salt into the cavity and over the back and sides of chicken. Tie chicken legs together with kitchen twine. Sprinkle salt generously over the breasts, coating them thoroughly. Wipe excess salt out of skillet with paper towels.
• Bake chicken in the preheated oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into a thigh, not touching bone, reads 160 degrees C (70 degrees C), 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from skillet to a serving platter and let rest 5 to 10 minutes.
• Blot about 90 percent of the chicken fat from the skillet with a paper towel held with tongs, leaving the browned bits of food in the skillet. Place skillet over medium-high heat and add thyme leaves. Cook and stir until thyme is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour lemon juice, chicken broth, and water into skillet, stirring until the browned bits dissolve and the sauce has reduced by about half, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low, add cold butter, and stir until butter has begun to melt. Add any accumulated juices from the chicken to sauce and continue to stir until butter is incorporated and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and season with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken to serve.

SALTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 C or 400 degrees F.
• Put all the salt into a bowl with the fennel seeds, eggs, lemon juice (save the juiced lemon skins), peppercorns and a wineglass of water and mix together.
• Crush the thyme in a pestle and mortar and add a couple good glugs of olive oil.
• Rub this flavoured oil all over your chicken, pushing any extra inside the cavity along with the parsley, garlic and squeezed lemon halves.
• You want the cavity so full that no salt will be able to get in.
• Get four long pieces of tinfoil and put them on top of each other to make a sheet around a metre square.
• Lay on a third of the salt, spreading until it is about 1/4 inch thick.
• Put your chicken on top, then pack the rest of the salt around it, making sure not to pierce the skin.
• Carefully fold up the sides of the tinfoil and scrunch it at the top.
• You can rip off any extra tinfoil.
• Place the chicken in the preheated oven and cook for two hours.
• Remove and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
• Take it to the table, rip open the tinfoil and crack the salt crust.
• It will fall apart easily and you will have a juicy chicken ready to serve.
• A nice side dish is some horseradish, mixed with creme fraiche or some homemade mayonnaise and basil.

SALTED BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Fill a medium heavy-bottomed pot halfway with oil. Heat until a deep-fat thermometer reaches 340 degrees.
• Meanwhile, stir together buttermilk, eggs, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together flour, coarse salt, and cayenne in another bowl. Working in batches, dip each chicken piece into buttermilk mixture, coating completely (do not shake off any excess). Dredge in flour mixture, patting onto chicken to coat completely. Transfer to a plate.
• Working in batches (do not crowd pot), carefully place chicken in oil, and fry until deep golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes for wings, 9 to 10 minutes for other pieces. (While chicken is cooking, adjust heat as needed to maintain an oil temperature of 325 degrees. Return oil to 340 degrees before starting each new batch.)
• Transfer fried chicken to a paper-towel-lined plate using a slotted spoon; sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SALTED FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the brine: Bring water, coarse salt, and honey to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until salt and honey dissolve. Remove from heat, and let cool. Place chicken in a bowl, and pour cooled brine over top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (up to 3 hours). Remove chicken from brine, and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Prepare to fry the chicken: Fill a medium heavy pot halfway with oil (enough to cover chicken). Heat until a deep-fry thermometer reaches 340 degrees.
• Meanwhile, make the coating: Stir together buttermilk, eggs, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together flour, coarse salt, and cayenne in another bowl. Working in batches, dip each chicken piece into buttermilk mixture, coating completely (do not shake off any excess). Dredge in flour mixture, patting onto chicken to coat completely. Transfer to a plate.
• Working in batches, carefully place chicken in oil, and fry until deep golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes for small pieces, 9 to 10 minutes for large pieces. (As chicken is cooking, adjust heat as needed to maintain an oil temperature of 325 degrees. Return oil to 340 degrees before starting each new batch.)
• Serve the chicken: Transfer chicken to paper-towel-lined plates, and let drain. Season with sea salt, and serve with honey for drizzling or dipping.

FULLY SALTED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat dry chicken with paper towels. Holding a 5-finger pinch of salt and positioning your hand at least 10" above chicken, evenly rain salt down over chicken. Repeat with several more pinches of salt until both inside and outside of chicken are covered with salt (be generous and make sure to get inside all the nooks and crannies). Place chicken on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and chill uncovered at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
• Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Roast chicken until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken thigh registers 165°F, 40-55 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes before carving.