The editors at America’s Test Kitchen have a winner with this easy summertime chicken, perfect for serving outside. The recipe, featured in “The Complete Summer Cookbook: Beat the Heat with 500 Recipes That Make the Most of Summer’s Bounty” (America’s Test Kitchen; $33), uses salt and a Green Goddess dressing-inspired marinade — ATK’s Julia Collin Davison calls it a brinerade — to coat the whole chicken for up to 24 hours. The result is a juicy, deeply-seasoned bird that’ll replace the fried chicken at your next picnic.
America’s Test Kitchen’s Green Goddess Roast Chicken
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
½ cup chopped fresh chives
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk, divided use
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 anchovy fillets, rinsed
¼ cup mayonnaise
1½ teaspoons salt
3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (2 split breasts cut in half crosswise, 2 drumsticks, and 2 thighs), trimmed
Directions:
In a blender, process the chives, parsley, ¼ cup buttermilk, lemon juice, tarragon, garlic and anchovies until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed.
Transfer 2 tablespoons of the herb mixture to a bowl; add mayonnaise and remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and stir to combine. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.
Combine salt and remaining herb mixture in a 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Add chicken to bag, press out air, seal the bag and turn to coat chicken in marinade. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 475 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with
aluminum foil. Place chicken, skin side up, on prepared sheet (do not brush off marinade that sticks to chicken). Make sure skin is not bunched up on the chicken. Roast until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.
Transfer chicken to a platter, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Serve the chicken with the sauce.
— “The Complete Summer Cookbook: Beat the Heat with 500 Recipes That Make the Most of Summer’s Bounty” (America’s Test Kitchen; $33)
