*Disclosure: I received a product to sample from The Book Club Cookbook for their #blendsbash. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Today I’m sharing my last Blends Bash 2022 recipe and it’s my favorite! I make a whole chicken for dinner on a fairly regular basis. It is Spud’s favorite food and since Spud is the pickier of my children and takes a lunch from home to school every day, having some leftover roast chicken ready to pack is a must.
I’ve gone through several methods of seasoning chickens over the years. I thought I’d unlocked the end-all key to success when I realized I could brine chickens like I’d been brining turkeys (duh).
Then I discovered dry brining. It’s a bit of a misnomer, since brining indicates liquid while curing indicates preserving in salt. Regardless of what you call it, I like this brining method even more than a liquid brine for several reasons.
First, there is simply less mess. I never know what to do with that brine after the chicken is done with it - using all that salt seems a bit wasteful. Secondly, dry brine uses considerably less salt, plus the spices, like today’s Are You There God, it’s Me Marjoram mix sits right up on the chicken imparting all sorts of great flavor.
Today’s blend from The Book Club Cookbook is inspired by the book, Are You There God, it’s Me Margaret, which I read years ago. I didn’t particularly enjoy the book (see my book review below) so I had no inclination to reread and make a recipe based on the book.
Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I think this book would have had much more impact had I read it as a tween, instead of as an adult.
I found the characters to be obnoxious (but very realistic) tweens. It wasn't an age I enjoyed in the least, so I didn't enjoy revisiting it in a book. Plus, my tween experience was very different than the characters in the book.
Make me glad I'm a mom of boys!
View all my reviews
Luckily for me, I love the spice mix Are You There God, it’s Me Marjoram, which more than makes up for my feelings on the book. This is a must-have spice blend and recipe in my house!
Dry Brined Roast Chicken
1 (4 pound) whole chicken (without giblets)
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoons chicken rub seasoning such as Are You There God, it’s Me Marjoram
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme or sage), optional
¼ cup water
Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, poultry seasoning, garlic powder and lemon juice.
Loosen the skin of the chicken. Rub the mixture all over the chicken, both over and under the skin. Sprinkle any remaining seasoning in the cavity of the chicken. Place the tray uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or (preferably) overnight. This allows time for the salt to sink into the meat of the chicken and dries out the skin so it gets crispy during cooking.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and place the chicken in a lidded roasting pan and add the ¼ cup water to the bottom of the pan (I use a stoneware pan. Alternately, use a deep roasting pan and cover tightly with foil).
Bake for 60-90 minutes or until the thickest part of the breast and thigh reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Remove the cover during the last 30 minutes or cooking, basting once or twice during that time.
Remove from the oven, carve and serve.
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