Buttermilk Roast Chicken with Charred Corn
An overnight bath in buttermilk does two things at once: it seasons the bird all the way through and keeps the breast meat from drying out under high heat. The corn goes straight into the roasting pan for the final stretch, catching the schmaltz and a little char. This is the kind of dinner that needs nothing more than a green salad and a cold beer.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, about 1.6kg
- 500ml buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 4 ears of corn, husked
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon, halved
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
- Whisk the buttermilk, salt, smoked paprika, and garlic in a large bowl. Submerge the chicken, cover, and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Heat the oven to 220C. Lift the chicken from the brine, letting the excess drip off, and set it breast-up in a roasting pan. Do not rinse.
- Roast for 25 minutes, then lower the heat to 190C and continue for 25 minutes more.
- Toss the corn with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Tuck the ears around the chicken and roast for a final 20 minutes, until the corn is blistered and the chicken reads 74C at the thigh.
- Rest the chicken on a board for 15 minutes. Squeeze the lemon over the corn and carve. Spoon the pan juices over everything.