dreaming@echonyc.com

this is my best roast chicken recipe. the chicken gets butterflied, which helps it cook quickly and evenly, and it's roasted at very high heat for a crisp skin.

1. to make the brine, mix 2 q. cold water, .5 c. sugar, and 1 c. kosher salt. put 3-4 pound roasting chicken in brine for one hour. don't skip this step.

2. remove and put in fridge, uncovered, to dry for several hours. the drying isn't absolutely necessary, but it makes the skin crisper.

3. butterfly the chicken by cutting its backbone out with shears, then flattening the chicken, breast up.

4. rub compound butter under the skin of the breast and thighs. (i use garlic, kosher salt, lemon zest, pepper, and, last night, sage.)

5. slice a few potatoes into 1/4" slices. toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. put in the of a broiler pan.

6. put the broiler pan top on and arrange the chicken breast side up, with the legs tucked close to the body.

7. impale chicken with probe thermometer in thickest part of breast.

8. put in 500 degree oven on -middle rack.

9. roast until skin looks kinda brown and spotty. turn broiler pan.

10. roast until thermometer registers 160 degrees. should take about half an hour. let chicken rest 5 minutes before carving.

11. if you like, return potatoes, uncovered, to oven and broil until they're crispy and brown.

12. drain excess oil off potatoes before serving.

13. gorge.