The search for the perfect whole roast chicken is elusive. There are a million recipes out there, but a few ideas for flavor and techniques for roasting have come together for me. The idea of flavoring the chicken with rosemary-infused maple syrup and combining it with a melted butter baste comes from food writer Colu Henry. Her original recipe appeared in New York Times Cooking. I also love Samin Nosrat’s Buttermilk Chicken recipe from her book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.
I’ve combined a bit of both in this recipe that is more a template than a recipe.
First, let’s talk about salt. Salt is important and fundamental to good cooking, but please don’t exaggerate. I’m finding that the food I encounter outside my home is becoming saltier than ever. But if you’re not pressed for time, dry brine your chicken, which simply means seasoning it as you normally would inside and out with salt. You don’t need to add excessive amounts. Allow the chicken to sit uncovered in the refrigerator from an hour to 24 hours. But you can make this chicken without brining it. Just start by seasoning the chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stuff a rosemary sprig or two in the cavity with a head of garlic cut in half. Set the chicken aside on the counter. It can safely stay at room temperature for up to an hour, and will cook faster and more evenly if it isn’t ice cold from the fridge when it goes into the oven.
If you like, prepare some vegetables to cook along with the chicken. I like potatoes, chunks of onion, and some carrots cut into large chunks. Season them with salt and pepper. Caveat: Cooking the chicken alone with no vegetables will result in a slightly crisper chicken all the way around since there is more air space around the bird. But cooking it with vegetables makes a complete meal in one pan. Your choice. Put a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Take an ovenproof skillet (cast iron is perfect), and melt a stick of butter with two and a half teaspoons of finely chopped rosemary leaves and two tablespoons of maple syrup. Let it cook until the mixture thickens slightly. Pour the mixture off into a measuring cup or small bowl. Allow it to cool slightly. Place the vegetables in the skillet and nestle the chicken in. Brush the butter-maple syrup mixture all over the chicken. If you are cooking the chicken without vegetables, pour it all over the chicken. If you’re adding vegetables generously, baste the bird with the accumulating juices. If there is any of the mixture left, you will use it to baste the chicken while it cooks.
So far the recipe is pretty much Colu Henry’s. Now you’re going to place it in the oven, as suggested by Samin Nosrat, who says, “Rotate the pan so that the legs are pointing toward the rear left corner, and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven (the back corners tend to be the hottest spots in the oven, so this orientation protects the breast from overcooking before the legs are done).”
Baste the chicken with either the reserved melted butter mixture or the juices from the pan every 15-20 minutes. Roast until the thighs register 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Depending on the size of your chicken, it should take about 50-60 minutes, but start checking at the 45-minute mark to avoid overcooking.
Baste a final time, remove the skillet from the oven, and let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. If you’ve roasted the chicken without vegetables, serve with the pan juices on the side. If you’ve cooked with vegetables, chances are they’ve absorbed the juices.