The Morning Bird

Roasted a chicken this morning while it was still morning crisp outside...
My apartment smelled like heaven.

I brined the chicken last night (covered it in a stockpot with about 1/2 cup salt dissolved in enough water to cover the bird) which is something I've never tried before. Let me tell you - it paid off. This might have been the juiciest bird I've ever roasted.

Roasting a chicken is easy:

I poured the brine off, patted it dry, rubbed it down with butter, under the skin and all over, and then generously seasoned the bird with salt and pepper. I drizzled it with olive oil, put it in one of my stainless steel pans and into an oven at 400˚. I cooked it for about half an hour and then turned the heat down to 350˚. I took it out when it was golden crispy, and the juices ran clear when pierced with a knife in the thigh, about two hours.

I ripped the meat hot off the bird, crispy and juicy and perfect. One of my favourite things in the world is ripping hot chicken off the bone, straight out of the oven, when the skin burns your tongue but it's too good to stop!!

Sorry to my vegetarian friends. I felt like an animal writing that, but it's best I'm honest with all of you. I love roasting chickens for that reason the most.

I ate it with refried beans, a tomato salad, with cilantro, lime juice, garlic, olive oil and salt, with crusty french bread on the side.
It was super. Really, really super.

I got challenged to a chicken cook off today by my friend Christine. Location and time to be determined. After this chicken...I'm feeling pretty confident.