Roast chicken just might be the quintessential dinner at home. The aroma, the luxurious flavor and the warmth of the oven draw family and friends to the table like magic. Perhaps that’s the reason so many food writers and cookbook authors go on and on about the topic. My take: Roast chickens often enough that you no longer rely on recipes.
Start by buying the right chicken.
I far prefer a small chicken for roasting. Commonly known as broiler/fryers, they weigh about 3 to 3 1/2 pounds. Sadly, it can be difficult to find small birds at the supermarket. The National Chicken Council says that just 40 years ago more than 60 percent of all chickens were sold whole. Today, that number hovers around 11 percent.
Instead, we can easily find packages of extra-large breasts, thighs and drumsticks. Not to mention boneless, skinless everything. Whole chickens sold in today’s supermarkets tend to be ginormous roasters weighing in around 5 pounds.
In my experience, smaller birds don’t need brines to keep them moist, they cook quickly and they stay juicy. Roasters need brining to prevent dry breast meat, they cook unevenly and they take a long time to cook.