Have you checked out Mel's Kitchen Cafe yet? Her blog is quickly becoming one of my go-to sites for recipes that I enjoy making, and that my family really enjoys eating! I initially found her via Blue Lily (ridiculously fun and fabulous nomadic photographers), and am now hooked.
Last evening's experiment was her Rock Salt Roasted Chicken ... how divine! I've had various and assorted luck over the years with roasted chicken, and never seem to get it just right. My husband can roast a great bird in his sleep, so I've got tough competition and a lot to live up to. Well, this. is. it.
Roasting the chicken on a bed of salt is clearly a great way to do it, and resulted in a tender, juicy and crispy chicken that everyone loved.
Mel's recipe calls for a bed (a 4-lb bed!) of rock salt (ice cream salt). I scoured my grocery store, and couldn't find anything resembling it, and I wanted to make this chicken pronto. I grabbed the chunkiest salt I could find (remembering that I also had a half can at home), and thought I could make it work.
I used a slightly smaller pan than she called for (an 8x11 vs a 9x13) and only 1.5 lbs of coarse sea salt. After letting it sit for a few minutes, I lifted the chicken and transfered it to a plate, lifted the foil tray of salt out, and put the chicken back in the empty pan. This was I was able to capture some of the great juices that ran out while I prepped the rest of the meal (a basic green beans almondine and a great Israeli couscous with raisins.)
I frankly can't imagine how it could've turned out better! Many thanks, Mel, for a great new family staple. Check out the recipe here.
