Buttermilk Roast Chicken

Confession:  I still get nervous around raw meat.  I can handle any vegetable without blinking, but animals are scary!  Over the years, I baby-stepped my way from frozen shrimp, to raw ground turkey in my chili, to grilling chicken tenderloins, and even cubing chuck roast for my soup.  The last part of facing my fear is to attack meat with bones!

The only recipe I have ever attempted with a bone has been the Teriyaki Chicken Thighs by Ellie Krieger, which I absolutely loved.  I have aspirations of roasting a chicken and using the carcass for a homemade stock, but in the meantime I'm still terrified!

*Update* I made chicken stock here and it's so easy!

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So how did this recipe come about?  I went to the grand opening of a new grocery store and the chicken drumsticks were ridiculously cheap, so I couldn't resist buying them.  This isn't the whole bird, but it's a step in the right direction.

I searched for a simple roast chicken recipe and came across this one from Smitten Kitchen.  It's super easy, flavorful, and moist.  After I bit into the first piece, I was almost convinced that I hadn't cooked it enough because it was so moist!  I adapted the spices to my taste, but it's nearly identical to the original verson.  Bon appetit!

Buttermilk Roast Chicken

Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 1 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. paprika, plus extra for sprinkling (like Deb, I used Hungarian paprika from my trip to Budapest two years ago!)
• 2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. chicken parts
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Flaked or coarse sea salt, to finish

Directions
1. Whisk the buttermilk, garlic, table salt, sugar, paprika and the black pepper together in a bowl.

2. Place chicken parts in a freezer bag or lidded container and pour the buttermilk brine, covering all of the parts.  Refrigerate for at least 2 but preferably 24 - 48 hours.  I marinated mine for just over 24 hours, and it turned out wonderfully!

3. When ready to roast, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

4. Line a baking dish with foil.  Remove chicken from buttermilk brine and arrange in dish.

5. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, then sprinkle with additional paprika and sea salt to taste.

6. Roast approximately 30 minutes for legs and 35 to 40 for breasts, until brown and a bit scorched in spots.  Serve immediately.

Since I was so antsy to have dinner, I forgot to photograph it for the final plating.  :(  I ate it with broccoli & cauliflower with a bit of parmesan topping.  Perfection!

This will definitely be one of my go to recipes in the future, and it required such minimal effort.  I'm almost over my fear of bone-in meats thanks to this recipe.

Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!