Cider-Roasted Chicken

Brining overnight in a salt-and-cider mixture makes this chicken incredibly flavorful and moist; basting with reduced apple cider adds a hint of sweetness to the finished chicken. Use tongs to carefully remove skin from the hot chicken.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 4 ounces chicken and about 1 tablespoon jus)

Ingredients

• 3  quarts water
• 1  quart apple cider
• 1/4  cup  kosher salt
• 1  tablespoon  black peppercorns
• 1  bay leaf
• 1  (6-pound) roasting chicken
• 2  cups  apple cider
• 1  large onion, peeled and halved
• 4  flat-leaf parsley sprigs
• 4  garlic cloves, peeled

Preparation

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat; cool completely. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Pour brine into a 2-gallon zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken; seal. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight, turning the bag occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Bring 2 cups cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until cider has thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup (about 15 minutes). Set aside.

Remove chicken from bag; discard brine. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Place the onion halves, parsley, and garlic into cavity. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Tie legs. Place chicken on rack of a broiler pan. Bake at 400° for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until thermometer registers 175°. Remove from oven (do not turn oven off). Carefully remove and discard skin. Baste chicken with half of reduced cider; return to 400° oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven; baste with remaining cider reduction. Transfer chicken to a platter.

Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small bowl, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Serve jus over chicken.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

224 (29% from fat)

Fat:

7.1g (sat 2g,mono 2.7g,poly 1.7g)

Protein:

26.9g

Carbohydrate:

11.3g

Fiber:

0.4g

Cholesterol:

80mg

Iron:

1.4mg

Sodium:

452mg

Calcium:

26mg