Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Perfect Roast Chicken with Salsa Verde

Perfect Roast Chicken with Salsa Verde

Perhaps you have brined poultry in heavily salted water to season and tenderize it. But dry-brining accomplishes the same thing without taking up as much space in your refrigerator. A hot oven promotes crisp, golden-brown skin. The salsa verde (green sauce) is a piquant and colorful accompaniment.

Ingredients

  • For the chicken:
  • 1 roasting chicken, about 4 pounds
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt, or more as needed
  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or more as needed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • For the salsa verde:
  • 1 bunch scallions, trimmed, white and light green parts thinly sliced
  • 2 cups loosely packed herbs (mint, dill, chives, etc.), finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Zest and juice from a medium lemon
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds

Directions

Step 1

Remove any giblets from the main cavity of the chicken as well as any large pieces of fat around the opening. 

Step 2

Dry-brine the chicken: Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Season it generously, inside and out, with salt and black pepper. Refrigerate, uncovered, for 12 to 24 hours. Transfer to a rack in a shallow roasting pan. (Line the roasting pan with foil for easier cleanup.) Tie the legs together with butcher’s string.

Step 3

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 450°F for at least 30 minutes. Place the chicken in the roasting pan on the middle shelf of the oven and roast for 50 to 60 minutes, or until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°F. Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes (uncovered).

Step 4

In the meantime, in a bowl combine the scallions, herbs, garlic, lemon (zest and juice), olive oil, salt, pepper, and mustard seeds. Taste, adding more salt, pepper, lemon juice, etc., to the mixture. It should be highly seasoned. Carve the chicken and serve with the salsa verde.

Serves 2 to 3Recipe adapted from notwithoutsalt.com