I don't think that there is anything quite as satisfying for a special dinner or even a weeknight supper than a simple roast chicken. Crisp skinned, juicy meat . . . there is nothing quite like it.
This fabulous cast iron oven chicken is a wonderful take on that theme and cooks in a fraction of the time. Do be warned however, the chicken needs to be brined overnight, but trust me when I tell you it is worth every minute of waiting.
This delectable cast iron skillet chicken is not only the juiciest most tender chicken you could ever want to eat, but it is filled with tons of flavor.
Aside from the overnight brining process, it cooks very quickly. I am convinced that brining is the secret to creating moist and juicy meat, be it chicken, or pork or whatever.
Seriously, once cooked, I could not keep my hands off of this chicken. Its quite simply fabulous.
Not only does the brining bring this roast chicken to a new level of taste, but weighing it down as it is roasting ensures that it cooks evenly and maintains it's juicy succulence.
Add to that the flavors of butter, lemon and rosemary . . . and you have a brilliant marriage made in heaven.
I am sharing it with you today because I think it would make the ideal Mother's Day main dish and I wanted you to have time to brine your chicken so that you could also enjoy this. And trust me, it WILL be enjoyed!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CAST IRON OVEN CHICKEN
First of all you will need two heavy skillets. I used my cast iron ones. The chicken cooks in one and the other is used to weigh it down in the oven.
Don't worry if you don't have two of them. You can also use a heavy brick wrapped in aluminum foil to weigh the chicken down.
As I said you will need to brine the chicken pieces overnight. This is a very simple brine:
- 1/3 cup (79g) kosher salt
- 1/3 cup (63g) granulated sugar
- 4 cups (946ml) water
- 1/4 cup (33g) juniper berries
- 2 TBS black peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
Juniper berries can often be difficult to find, but there are a few different things you can use in their place. Gin. Dried rosemary. Caraway Seeds. Bay leaves. Since I was already using bay leaves in the brine I opted to use dried rosemary with excellent results. You can read more about them here.
I used about 1/2 TBS dried rosemary leaves.
Aside from the Brine you will also need:
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (3 1/2 to 4 pounds in weight)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, bruised
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- 1/2 cup (120g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Needless to say this is not a dish which is low in calories, but a bit of an indulgence. I suppose if you divide the fat 8 ways it is not so bad.
There is no seasoning needed for this dish. All of the seasoning comes from that fabulous brine.
This is a recipe I adapted from the cookery book entitled The Lost Kitchen, recipes and a good life in Freedom, Main . . . by Erin French.
This is the first recipe I have cooked from the book and if it is any indication as to the quality of the recipes in this book, I can only say this is a book that will be used often in my kitchen. I highly recommend!
HOW TO MAKE CAST IRON OVEN CHICKEN
Nothing could be simpler. That is what I love most about the recipes in this book. They are simple and uncomplicated and yet at the same time incredibly delicious. (If this chicken is anything to go by.)
I have also been watching the show about The Lost Kitchen on the Discovery Channel and everyone who eats at this restaurant is in ecstasy the whole way through their meals. They come from hundreds and thousands of miles away to eat there. I would LOVE to eat there.
You will need to brine the chicken overnight in the refrigerator. Prepare the brine by putting all of the ingredients into a saucepan and bringing it to the boil. Allow it to cool completely.
Pour it over the chicken pieces, cover tightly and then place into the refrigerator overnight where the brine will infuse the chicken with some really beautiful flavors.
About an hour before you are ready to serve the chicken, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain well. Pat dry with paper towels and then leave to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425*F/230*C/ gas mark 7.
Place the olive oil in one of the skillets. Heat over high heat and then add the chicken pieces skin side down. Leave without disturbing until you can hear the skin beginning to sizzle. This will take four or five minutes.
Place the other skillet on top of the chicken, (Or the brick wrapped in tinfoil.) Pop into the preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes.Remove from the oven and take off the skillet. Using tongs flip the chicken over so that the skin is on top. Place the rosemary springs and lemon wedges in between the chicken pieces and dot with the butter.
Return to the oven and roast for a further 15 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown, cooked through and the juices run clear.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving with the pan juices and some of the lemon. This is quite simply fabulous.
This is truly the most delicious chicken I have ever eaten. It would be beautifully at home served with some potatoes or rice to spoon some of those delectable buttery, lemony, pan juices over.
This chicken will truly melt in your mouth.
If you are interested in some of my other chicken dishes here in my English Kitchen, might I suggest:
PORTUGESE STYLE ROAST CHICKEN - Spicy whole chicken roasted on a bed of vegetables. These become lovely, juicy, and caramelized . . . having absorbed some of the juices from the chicken. They also served to flavor the chicken a bit as well.
APRICOT CHICKEN - This isone of those meals that basically cooks itself, leaving you hands free to get on with the rest of the dinner. Tender pieces of chicken in a rich finger licking tasty apricot glaze.
MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN BITES - Chicken thighs are cut into bite sized pieces and then coated liberally in a mix of Mediterranean herbs and some olive oil and marinated for about half an hour prior to cooking it. Once cooked you end up with delicious little bites of chicken that are fabulous served with rice, pasta or potatoes, scattered over salads, tucked into pocket breads, etc.
Cast Iron Lemon & Rosemary Chicken
Yield: 4 - 6Author: Marie RaynerPrep time: 24 HourCook time: 35 MinInactive time: 29 MinTotal time: 25 H & 4 MThis is the tenderest, juiciest, most delicious roasted chicken I have ever eaten. You will need to brine it overnight, but once brined, it cooks very quickly. Trust me when I say, it is well worth the overnight wait. You will need two heavy cast iron skillets or one skillet and a heavy brick wrapped in aluminum foil.Ingredients
For the Brine:- 1/3 cup (79g) kosher salt
- 1/3 cup (63g) granulated sugar
- 4 cups (946ml) water
- 1/4 cup (33g) juniper berries
- 2 TBS black peppercorns
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces (3 1/2 to 4 pounds in weight)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
- 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, bruised
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
- 1/2 cup (120g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Instructions
- To make the brine combine the water, salt, sugar, juniper berries, peppercorns and bay leaves in a non-reactive saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely before using. This makes enough for 5 pounds of meat and will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Place the chicken pieces into the cold brine to submerge. Cover tightly and then place into the refrigerator overnight to brine.
- About an hour before you are ready to serve the chicken, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and drain well. Pat dry with paper towels and then leave to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425*F/230*C/ gas mark 7.
- Place the olive oil in one of the skillets. Heat over high heat and then add the chicken pieces skin side down. Leave without disturbing until you can hear the skin beginning to sizzle. This will take four or five minutes.
- Place the other skillet on top of the chicken, (Or the brick wrapped in tinfoil.) Pop into the preheated oven and roast for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and take off the skillet. Using tongs flip the chicken over so that the skin is on top. Place the rosemary springs and lemon wedges in between the chicken pieces and dot with the butter.
- Return to the oven and roast for a further 15 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown, cooked through and the juices run clear.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving with the pan juices and some of the lemon. This is quite simply fabulous.
Did you make this recipe?
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