Roast Chicken

I know Roast Chicken sounds simple enough.  I've been working on perfecting this recipe for years now and I feel like it it pretty darn close to the way I want it to be.  Try it out and judge for yourself.

1 whole chicken, the best quality I can buy (not kosher though, because we are going to dry brine it)
Sara's Roast Chicken Salt and Spice mix (see recipe below)
1 whole onion, peeled and cut into quarters
olive oil
sprigs of fresh thyme and rosemary if you have them, no biggie if you don't

1. Unwrap your chicken, take the giblets out of the cavity and discard (or put aside to use separately) and place the chicken onto a pan with sides that fits into your refrigerator.
2. Sprinkle a generous heaping teaspoonful of the seasoning inside the cavity from both directions (neck and bottom)
3. Generously sprinkle both sides of the chicken with another heaping teaspoon full of seasoning and rub it in all over to coat all the skin and then put the chicken breast side down into the pan and leave uncovered in the fridge for 2-3 days. Yah.  I said 2-3 days.  
4. 2-3 days later, when you are ready to cook (and eat) your chicken remove it from the fridge. Rub it all over with olive oil and place it on a rack set breast side up (for now) into a clean roasting pan.
5. I use my convection oven for this and set it to 475 (it automatically resets down to 450) or you can use a regular oven at 450.
6. Put the onion quarters and the optional herbs into the chicken cavity.
7.  Roast chicken at the high temperature for 25 minutes - so the skin on the breast is getting crisp
8. Remove chicken and turn it over (easier said than done, believe me I know.  I use paper towels folded over on top of a potholder and a pair of long handled tongs).  When you have successfully turned it over, the breast side is now facing down on the rack - you can return the chicken to the oven.
9. Roast for 5 more minutes at the high temperature.  Then turn the oven down to 300 or 325 and roast for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours... depending on the size of your chicken - until the joints are very loose and the skin is very crispy (and the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh is over 165).
10. Let rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

Sara's Roast Chicken Salt and Spice Mix

• 3 heaping teaspoons of fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 heaping teaspoon of dry oregano
• 1 heaping teaspoon of dry rosemary 
• 1 regular teaspoon of dry thyme
• 1 heaping teaspoon of dry sage

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Store any unused spice mix in a glass jar with a lid (such as an old spice container)