Buttermilk-Marinated Roast Chicken (AKA Chicken for Tomorrow) from Samin Nosrat

Directions

1. The day before you want chicken, prep the bird: Set the chicken on a rimmed sheet pan. If there’s a bag of giblets tucked inside the chicken, be sure to pull it out. Cut off the pointy wingtips by slicing through the first wing joint with kitchen shears or a sharp knife (so they don’t burn—save them for stock). Season the chicken inside and out with 1 tablespoon of salt total and let it sit for 30 minutes.
2. Make the marinade: In a large bowl, combine 4 teaspoons salt and the buttermilk and stir with a spoon to dissolve the salt. Lift the chicken into a gallon-size (3.8L) resealable plastic bag and pour in the buttermilk. If the chicken looks like it won’t fit in a gallon-size bag, use a larger resealable bag or double up two larger plastic produce bags to prevent leakage and tie the bag with a piece of twine. If you have no bags that will work, use a bowl and cover it tightly, but you’ll want to turn the chicken a few times to make sure it all gets access to the marinade.
3. Seal the bag, squish the buttermilk around the chicken, place on a rimmed plate, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours. If you remember, turn the bag partway through marinating so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but it’s not essential.
4. About 2 hours and 15 minutes before you want to eat, get ready to roast: Take the chicken bundle out of the fridge and leave on the counter for 1 hour to lose some chill. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the center.
5. Just before roasting, ready the chicken: Find a 10-inch (25cm) cast-iron skillet or shallow roasting pan. Remove the chicken from the plastic bag, scraping off as much buttermilk with your fingers as you reasonably can. Set the chicken in the pan, breast-side up. Tightly tie the legs of the chicken together with a piece of kitchen twine.
6. Start roasting: Set the pan in the oven on the center rack and slide the pan all the way to the back. Turn the pan so the chicken legs are pointing toward the back left corner and the breast is pointing toward the center of the oven (the back corners are usually the hottest spots in the oven, so this positioning will help keep the breast from overcooking before the legs are done). Close the oven—the chicken should start sizzling soon.
7. Turn the pan: After the chicken starts to brown, about 20 minutes, turn down the heat to 400°F (200°C). Roast for another 10 minutes, then use oven mitts to turn the pan so the legs are facing the back right corner of the oven.
8. Finish roasting and eat: Continue cooking until the chicken is beautifully browned all over and, when you insert a knife down to the bone between the leg and the thigh, the meat looks firm and pale, not squishy and pink, and the juices run clear, about 30 minutes more (an instant-read thermometer will register 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh and breast). Using tongs, lift the chicken to a cutting board (preferably with a groove to catch any juices) or platter and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving with a sharp knife and serving.
9. Store: Roast chicken, tightly sealed in the refrigerator, makes excellent leftovers. You can either carve or pull off all the meat so it’s easier to use throughout the week, or stick the whole bird on a plate and cover it with a reusable beeswax wrap or plastic wrap for 4 days, or freeze in an airtight container for 4 months. Eat it cold, warm, or hot, in sandwiches, soups, grain bowls, tacos, and more.