Three of a kind

DANIEL’S PASTURE-RAISED ROAST CHICKEN

For chef Daniel Hadida, it’s all about the quality of the bird. “There’s a literal definition of ‘pasture-raised,’ meaning the predominant diet is open pasture-foraged.” He knows his farmer by name, and at home, he suggests we do the same with our butcher. His first step during prep is removing the wishbone. “The reason you take it out is because it helps in carving later,” he says. “You want to use every piece of its meat and the bones.”

3 1/2- to 4-lb (1.585- to 1.81-kg) pasture-raised chicken (see TIP)

Sea salt

Juice of half a small lemon

Coarse sea salt for serving

1 Remove the wishbone from the chicken by pushing the tip of a knife through the neck cavity and running it up each side of the bone. Then hook your finger behind the bone and twist it out. This will help with easier carving after roasting.

2 Dry chicken in the fridge on a roasting rack set over a plate for 24 hours. This will concentrate flavour and encourage better skin crisping.

3 Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C).

4 Bring air-dried chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before roasting. Truss the legs with kitchen string and pull them back from the body. Make sure any torn skin is covering the meat.

5 Season liberally inside and out with salt.

Set on a roasting rack in a shallow pan so air can circulate around the chicken. Roast until an instant read thermometer inserted into inner thigh near breast without touching bone reaches 165°F (74°C), about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

6 Place chicken on cutting board and remove rack from pan. Carve chicken and put the pieces back into pan, skin-side up. Turn on broiler and broil for 1 minute, just to get the skin crispy again after resting.

7 For a sauce, simply squeeze the lemon juice into the pan drippings, then drizzle over the meat. Sprinkle with a touch of coarse sea salt and serve.

Serves 4

TIP

Pasture-raised chicken is important because it infers slow growing and high nutrient density due to the nature of wild forage. Hadida prefers heritage breeds, such as Chantecler and Rhode Island Red, which don’t have huge meat-to-size ratios. You can find them at a local farm, farmers’ market or trusted butcher.