Persian Roast Chicken
Author: Nicole
Ingredients
  • 1 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 pound organic chicken
  • ½ teaspoon saffron (a generous pinch)
  • 1-1/2 cups plain non-fat yogurt (not Greek yogurt)
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt or 2 teaspoons fine sea salt (see Notes)
  • 2 teaspoons fine lemon zest (~ 1 lemon)
Instructions
The day before cooking the chicken:
  1. In a small bowl, grind saffron and a pinch of salt (any kind) into a powder with your fingers. (Alternately use a mortar and pestle). Add two tablespoons of boiling water and stir. Allow ‘saffron tea’ to steep for five minutes. Let cool.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together saffron tea, yogurt, salt and lemon zest.
  3. Remove chicken from packaging and ensure there’s no parts stored in the cavity of the chicken.
  4. Place chicken in a two gallon ziplock bag and add brining mixture. Seal bag and squish mixture all around chicken. Place in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. If you think of it, squish mixture around chicken a few times during the 24 hours.
The day you’re cooking the chicken:
  1. Remove chicken from the refrigerator an hour before you’re going to cook it and let it sit at room temperature.
  2. Preheat oven to 450°F and place rack in center of oven.
  3. After an hour has passed, remove chicken from bag and wipe off as much of the brining mixture as possible. Place chicken breast side up in a 10-inch (or larger) cast iron frying pan (or shallow roasting pan). Tightly tie together the legs of the chicken with a piece of cooking twine.
  4. Slide pan all the way to the back of the oven. Rotate pan so the legs are pointing towards the back left corner and the breast is pointing towards the center of the oven (essentially the pan should take up the back left quadrant of the oven). The chicken will start to sizzle and brown almost immediately.
  5. After 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 400°F.
  6. After another 10 minutes, rotate the chicken so that the legs are pointing towards the back right corner of oven.
  7. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes or so (depends on the size of the chicken). Chicken is done when it’s brown all over and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thigh but not touching bone). (Alternately when juices run clear when a knife is inserted down the bone between the leg and thigh.)
  8. Let chicken rest at room temperature (uncovered) for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
Notes
* This recipe uses Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. If you’re using Morton Kosher salt, one tablespoon of Diamond Crystal is equal to about 1-3/4 teaspoons of Morton Kosher salt (a reminder that three teaspoons is one tablespoon). It’s important for you to adjust the recipe so it’s not too salty.
* You can find 2 gallon ziplock bags at your grocery store. I keep them on hand for occasions just like this.
* On the day you cook the chicken, it takes about 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours until the chicken is cooked (that includes the hour out of the refrigerator).
Recipe by Riegl Palate at https://www.rieglpalate.com/persian-roast-chicken/