Salt-roast chicken
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- + overnight salting + 1 hour
- A little effort
- Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 whole head garlic
- 8-12 chicken thighs, skin on
- a bunch thyme
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- such as Tidman’s Natural Rock Salt (Tesco rock salt, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s) for sprinkling
- olive oil
- smoked or sweet paprika
Method
- STEP 1
Smash the garlic cloves but leave them in their papery skins to help stop them burning. Put the garlic, chicken, thyme and peppercorns in a bowl and turn the whole lot over a few times with your hands.
- STEP 2
Arrange the chicken on a rack set over a roasting tin; this will allow any liquid to drain out. Add the garlic, thyme and peppercorns, poking them in among the chicken. Sprinkle a good amount of rock salt over, making sure that you cover all the pieces. Now chill overnight or for at least 8 hours so the salt can draw out any excess moisture.
- STEP 3
Heat the oven to 160c/fan 140c/gas 3. Brush any excess salt off the chicken and rinse out the roasting tin. Sprinkle over a little olive oil and dust with paprika before you cook it. Smoked paprika adds a lovely warm flavour and a slightly sharp edge.
- STEP 4
Roast for 1 hour until the skin is browned and crisp and the chicken is cooked through. Serve with the garlic cloves to squeeze out.
