[ Prep Time: 10 hr | Cooking Time: 45 min | Serving: 4 ]
The secret to making a perfect roast chicken is to add baking powder in the dry rub to speed up the dehydration of the skin! It also accelerates the Maillard reaction during roasting, guaranteed a juicy, crispy roast chicken every time!
Ingredients
1.3 kg Whole Chicken
1 Tbsp Oil
1½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Baking Powder
½ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
Method
1. Prepare the seasoning rub by mixing salt (1½ tsp), ground black pepper (½ tsp) and baking powder (½ tsp).
2. Remove the spine of the whole chicken (1.3 kg), make a cut on the soft bone between the chicken breasts and lay flat.
3. Rinse the chicken with water, remove the giblets and pat dry with kitchen paper towels.
4. Rub the seasonings on both sides of the chicken. Refrigerate it uncovered overnight (or at least 12 hr) on the bottom shelf in the fridge.
5. Preheat the oven to 220 °C.
6. Place the chicken on a baking tray and bake for 40 min at 220 °C.
7. Brush oil (1 tbsp) on the chicken and let it rest for 10 min before serving.
Notes
A rub containing salt and baking powder is crucial to achieving super crisp skin in roast chicken.
The baking powder acts as a mild alkali to break down some of the proteins and fat in the chicken as well as speeding up dehydration of the skin while marinating it overnight.
Baking powder also makes the chicken more alkaline and therefore enhancing the Maillard reaction during roasting for a super juicy and crisper roast chicken.