Samin Nosrat’s Roasted Buttermilk Chicken
I was first introduced to Samin Nosrat in Michael Pollan’s Cooked series on Netflix. She was so delightful on the show, which you should watch asap if you haven’t already, by the way. Then, she came out with her own Netflix series, Salt Fat Acid Heat, soon after she released her book under the same title.
Like Pollan in Cooked, Nosrat focused on one of the elements in each episode. She shared her vast knowledge on how these basic factors play significant roles in different dishes. The series culminated in the “Heat” episode when she made dishes with her friends and family featuring all of the elements. This was the episode her roasted buttermilk chicken was on full display and my life was never the same again. OK, slight exaggeration here, but it did change my cooking life a bit.
If I remember correctly, I made the roasted chicken for the first time within a week or two of watching the series. She described the savory flavor and moist texture of the chicken so beautifully that I knew I had to try it right away.
It only has three ingredients - whole chicken, salt, and buttermilk - which provide the salt, fat, and acid. The heat is obviously from roasting it in the oven. Despite having minimum ingredients, the recipe itself is lengthy! I was intimidated by how long her instructions were but I charged through them with my appreciation for also how detailed they were. I followed them precisely and boy was I glad I did.
The chicken was THE BEST roasted chicken I’ve ever made. It was super moist throughout and full of flavor like she said. I couldn’t believe how delicious it was! I thought it would be a bit bland because salt was the only seasoning.
Her recipe works every single time. I follow it to the tee and it has yet to fail me. And, it has yet fail to impress my guests either. So friends, try this recipe, don’t get discouraged by the long instruction, and, hopefully, it’ll be your go-to roasted chicken recipe for life. It sure is for me and my family.
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