Zuni Roast Chicken

I don't roast whole chickens that often, but this one was excellent. It was really succulent and very flavorful. It wasn't that difficult to make either, if you take the time to read the recipe, and don't forget to salt the chicken one or two days before roasting it. I made the bread salad with it as well (with flat-leaf parsley), and a tomato salad. The bread salad was finished way before the tomatoes.

I did have a problem with fitting the bread salad and the chicken in the oven at the same time: you might want to check the size of your baking dishes.

The detailed instructions provided with this recipe were easy to follow, and the result was amazing. I started 2 days before serving with the preparation (jamming salt/herb mixture under the skin), and then cooked the chicken in a cast iron frying pan.

I have not roasted many whole chickens, and certainly not recently. I remember chickens sticking to the pan, and so I was nervous about flipping the chicken over half way through. But the instructions - to start with a hot pan and a dry chicken - did seal the skin, and flipping it over wasn't too much of a problem.

The only problem, from my perspective, was all the splattering grease. I'm very thankful for my self-cleaning oven.

The succulence of this chicken was amazing. Delicious and moist! My 15-yr old son has been unwilling to eat more than one bit of chicken for at least 5 years. But this, he ate, enjoyed, and even had seconds.