The secret to perfect roasted chicken is to brine the bird, let it air-dry in the fridge, then cook it first at high heat, then at moderate heat. Brining is an age-old technique that adds moisture and enhances taste by infusing the meat with flavor, rather than simply seasoning the skin. Air-drying insures a dry bird going into the oven and extra-crisp skin after roasting, and varying the oven temperature crisps the skin without drying out the meat.
sgrishka ,As for bristol46girl's poor recipe review and question, "What is the ratio of salt to water?" That depends on the type of salt used...the brine portion of the recipe clearly states: 1 cup of Kosher salt to 4 qts. of water (1 qt. hot water plus 3 qts. cold water) and since 4 qts. equals 1 gal. the ratio for Kosher salt is 1 cup of salt per gallon of water -or- 1/2 cup of Plain/Table salt to 4 qts. of water (1 qt. hot water plus 3 qts. cold water) and since 4 qts. equals 1 gal. the ratio for Plain/Table salt is 1/2 cup of salt per gallon of water.11y
nathanmena ,This is an excellent recipe. Easy to make and a delicious outcome! I have made this several times now and it has always produced moist and tender chicken. I used the pan juices to make both Au Jus and gravy. They were equally wonderful slathered over the roast chicken.12y
gdickens3 ,This is the best roasted chicken ever! I brined and dried it in the fridge over night. Followed the recipe to the letter .. WOW!! Will make often! I served with roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli. Perfect.12y
scarlett403 ,Used Montreal chicken spice instead of all the herbs and still turned out great with some lemon! Brining makes a huge difference!12y
vikkiray ,Followed your instructions to the letter and it was sooo worth it. The chicken was succulent and delicious. Everyone Loved it, Even my husband LOVED it and couldn't stop eating it. He normally won't eat chicken. Thanks for a great recipe, will be making again tomorrow night.13y
medickep ,This is a great recipe with the white meat even being juicy!! I usually avoid white meat but this was great. I had a tough time getting the skin crispy even letting it dry overnight.13y
ettabakes ,Great recipe! The directions were well written and easy to follow. This was easily the best roast chicken I have ever made. It made a great addition to our Christmas table.13y
nolafoodie ,Quite possibly the best chicken I've ever made. Kudos to the poster. I followed the recipe to the letter and it came out unbelievably tender, juicy, and flavorful. Will definitely be cooking this again when I want to impress.13y
thetitan99 ,This was excellent. My first time brining a bird and I probably won't do it any other way. I smoked them on a barrel grill with cherry wood for about an hour and a half. I also used my own poultry rub on them. Very juicey and flavorful. Deserves a medal.14y
sgrishka ,This recipe uses the most basic brine, water and salt, and produces a bird that's much juicier and more flavorful than an unbrined bird. However, a brine can also impart other flavors as well. You can use fruit juices, cider, beer, wine, liquor, stock, or other liquids to replace some or all of the water. Other ingredients may include sugar, brown sugar, honey, molasses, citrus fruits, garlic, onion, bay leaves, dried chilies, crushed peppercorns, allspice berries, juniper berries, and other herbs and spices. If desired, you can bring the ingredients to a boil to dissolve any sugars and bring out the flavor of herbs, then cooling the mixture to below 40 degrees F before use. Just make sure you've got the salt in there and that the flavorants are water-soluble; osmosis will then carry the flavored liquid into the meat. Like all cooking, brining is something you should experiment with and adjust to your own tastes.14y
sgrishka ,For the best results when using this basic brine of 1/4 cup Kosher salt per quart of water, the chicken should be left to soak for approximately one hour per pound. However, the amount of brining time is not set in stone...even a little brining is better than none. Before brining, be sure that the chicken was not already brined when it was purchased (Kosher chickens are already brined). Brining does have one adverse effect on chicken...it adds moisture to the skin as well as the flesh which can prevent the skin from browning or crisping when roasting. Air-drying solves this problem. Letting the brined chicken dry, uncovered, in the refrigerator allows surface moisture to evaporate, making the skin visibly more dry and taut and promotes crispness when cooked. Although this step is optional, it’s well worth the extra trouble. For the best results, air-dry the brined chicken overnight. The roasting times stated in this recipe may appear low; but brined meat tends to cook faster than unbrined meat. Some people believe that the water added to meat through the brining process conducts more heat, resulting in a faster cooking time. More likely, the denatured meat proteins are partially "cooked" by the brining process, so the heat has less work to do and the meat cooks faster. So, if you're used to cooking an unbrined chicken for a certain length of time, start checking the internal temperature about 2/3 of the way into your normal cooking time. Just be sure to use an instant-read thermometer to accurately check for doneness. [I posted this recipe.]14y