Everyone loves a roast chicken. But whole chickens are notorious for becoming dry during roasting. So how do you elevate a classic and get succulently juicy meat finished with the golden-brown crispy skin? Combine a buttermilk brine with the aromatic flavours of rosemary and pepper for a tender and fragrant roast chicken. It's so simple. With just a few ingredients, Chef Rick’s Buttermilk Roast Chicken recipe has to be one of the easiest and most flavour-packed recipes.
The classic kitchen staple of whole roast chicken is lightly sweetened and brought to life with a simple buttermilk brine – Chef Rick Tarantino, M.S
Preparation time 6½ hours + 10 minutes
Cooking time 50-60 minutes
Servings 4 people
| Ingredients | |
| 1 Whole Pastured Chicken, Innards Removed & Washed | 480g Organic Buttermilk |
| 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil | 2 Tablespoons Whole Pink & Black Peppercorns |
| 1 Tablespoon Pink Himalayan or Celtic Sea Salt | 2 Tablespoons Fresh Rosemary |
| 3 Tablespoons Grass Fed Butter, Melted |
| Equipment | |
| Measuring Jug | Vacuum Bags |
| Cast Iron Dish | Vacuum Pack Machine |
How to Truss a Chicken
You want your chicken to cook evenly without drying out. And the best way to get a deliciously juicy chicken is to truss it.
When you truss a chicken you tie its wings and legs against the body. It maintains the chicken’s shape and helps to cook it evenly without drying out the thinner parts of meat. It’s a really simple technique which gives the best results.
Check out the short video below which shows you how to truss a chicken, then scroll down for the rest of method.
Method
- Rinse the rosemary and let it fully dry before you mince it, otherwise it'll stick to your knife.
- Add the buttermilk, oil, rosemary, salt and pepper into the vacuum pack bag. Give the bag a careful shake to mix the ingredients.
- Put the trussed chicken into the bag and make sure it's covered by the brine.
- Vacuum seal the bag and refrigerate for at least six hours. We recommend leaving it for 12 hours so the flavours really come out.
- Preheat the oven to 232°C/Gas Mark 8.
- Take the chicken out of the vacuum bag and place it in the middle of a roasting pan or cast iron pan. If you're using a cast iron pan it's important to make sure you clean and season it properly-check out our Cleaning and Seasoning Cast Iron Cookware article to find out more.
- Lightly pat the chicken with some blue roll to remove the excess brine and cook in the centre of the oven for 50-60 minutes.
- Baste the chicken with the pan juice and melted butter during the last 15 minutes of cooking so you get an amazingly crispy golden skin.
Chef Rick’s Tips
Twist this dish and sweeten the brine with 2 tablespoons organic honey and 3 tablespoons of red wine.Add extra smoke with our Polyscience Smoking Gun. Butterfly the chicken, and cook it on the grill for a smooth flavour. Choose Hickory Wood Chips or cherry wood for a smokey BBQ flavour.
Switch it up. Try using this brine for heritage game birds, and increasing the brine time to overnight. Add 800-900g of chopped carrots, turnips or other root vegetables.
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