[ Prep Time: 12 hr | Cooking Time: 30 min | Serving: 4 ]
Adding baking powder to this homemade salt-baked dry rub can speed up the dehydration of the chicken skin! It also accelerates the Maillard reaction during roasting, guarantees a juicy and super crispy salt baked chicken every time!
Ingredients
1.3 kg Whole Chicken
2 Tsp Sand Ginger Powder
1 Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Granulated Garlic
½ Tsp Chicken Powder
½ Tsp Baking Powder
¼ Tsp Five Spice Powder
Method
1. Rinse the chicken with water, remove the giblets and pat dry with kitchen paper towels.
2. Prepare the seasoning rub by mixing salt (1 tsp), baking powder (½ tsp), sand ginger powder (2 tsp), granulated garlic (½ tsp), chicken powder (½ tsp) and five-spice powder (¼ tsp).
3. Remove the spine of the whole chicken (1.3 kg), make a cut on the soft bone between the chicken breasts and lay flat.
4. Rub the seasonings on both sides of the chicken. Refrigerate it uncovered overnight on the bottom shelf in the fridge.
5. Let the chicken warm back up to room temperature for 30 min.
6. Place the chicken on a baking tray and bake for 30 min at 220°C/480°F and let it rest for 10 min before serving.
Notes
A rub containing salt and baking powder is crucial to achieving a 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.