Instructions

Start with a whole, thawed chicken. Yes, home raised chicken will absolutely work–that’s all I use. You may spatchcock the chicken if you like. Or if you have no clue what I just said, proceed with the chicken as-is.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

Place it in a baking dish and sprinkle salt over the entire bird.

When I say “sprinkle,” I actually mean dump. Be thorough and aggressive.

Flip the chicken around and massage the salt into every crevice. This is not a cute little “dusting.” We’re looking for every square inch of that bird to be covered in a generous layer of sodium.

(You can use either fine or coarse salt here. I use Redmond salt, of course)

If extra salt falls into the bottom of the baking dish, great. Leave it there.

Place the dish with the chicken in your refrigerator uncovered.

This the most important part. Yes, the skin will dry out– that’s exactly what we want.

Leave the chicken in the fridge for 24 hours. If you must have it sooner, 12 hours will suffice. You can also leave it for up to 48 hours.

Once you pull it out, it will look like a petrified chicken. Or a chicken unearthed from the sands beneath a pyramid. PERFECT.

Now preheat your oven to 350*F.

Transfer the chicken to a cast iron skillet or other oven safe dish (you can use the dish from the fridge if you like– just be careful putting a cold pan into a hot oven. If it’s glass or ceramic it can break.)

Bake for 1.5-2 hours, or until a thermometer inserted into the drumstick reads at least 165*F and juices are running clear.

Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing and eating the most incredible roast chicken you’ve ever had.