Golden brown roast chicken in a cast iron skillet sitting atop a bed of toasted bread salad with currants and pine nuts.

Zuni-Style Roast Chicken

Salt it 24 hours early. Small bird, high heat. The salad drinks the drippings.

Total: 24 hrsActive: 45 minDifficulty: EasyYield: 4 Servings

Timing note: 24 Hours (Passive)

AmericancalifornianChicken

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Zuni-Style Roast Chicken

Salt it 24 hours early. Small bird, high heat. The salad drinks the drippings.

Total: 24 hrsActive: 45 minDifficulty: EasyYield: 4 Servings

Timing note: 24 Hours (Passive)

AmericancalifornianChicken

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The Key Move

This recipe changed how America roasts chicken. The secret isn't the heat; it’s the Pre-Salting. By salting the bird 1-3 days in advance, the salt penetrates to the bone, denaturing the proteins so they hold onto moisture. If you salt immed

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The Setup

Cast Iron Skillet
Carving Knife

The Mise en Place

Your prep station before cooking begins

Units

The Protein (0/2)

4 lbwhole chicken(3-4 lbs | Small birds cook more evenly)

¾ tspkosher salt

Other (0/2)

stale bread(Torn into chunks for the salad)

currants & pine nuts(The signature Zuni mix)

Skin is salty but meat is bland.

You didn't brine it long enough. Salt needs 24 hours to travel to the bone.

Oven smoked out the house.

Common with this recipe! Add cubed potatoes under the bird to catch the fat, or ensure your oven is clean.

The Method

CURE

SALT the chicken inside and out. Loosen the skin and rub salt on the meat. Time: Refrigerate uncovered for 24-48 hours.

Uncovered = Dry Skin = Crispy Roast.

PREHEAT

Heat oven to 475°F (245°C). Preheat a cast iron skillet.

SEAR

Place chicken in the hot pan breast-side up. ROAST for 30 mins. Pitfall: It will smoke. Turn on your fan. If you lower the heat, you lose the crispness.

Pitfall:

Overcrowding: Crowding steams instead of browning. Sear in batches and leave space.

Checkpoint:

Breast is 160F, thigh 175F; juices run clear; skin is blistered.