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Here’s one of the coolest live-fire dishes on the planet–a whole chicken scented with fresh herbs, sealed in a salt crust, and roasted in a wood-burning oven. The salt adds flavor while sealing in moisture. Serve with Chimichurri (Argentina’s classic Garlic Parsley Vinegar Sauce)
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0:00
Francis Malma is the most famous grill master in South America
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the sort of guy who once filmed an entire series on grilling on a glacier in Patagonia
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So when I first heard about his salt-crusted chicken cooked in an Orno Albarro wood-burning oven
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well, I bought my plane ticket for Uruguay the next morning. The salt crust seals in the moistness and flavor
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The spectacular presentation speaks loud enough for itself. Start with a four-pound chicken, preferably organic
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Cut a whole clove of garlic in half and rub the outside of the chicken
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Then place the garlic in the cavity. Cut a whole lemon in half
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and rub the outside of the chicken. Place the lemon half inside the cavity
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Next, place a couple of fresh bay leaves in the cavity And a couple of rosemary sprigs
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Next, fold the wingtips under the chicken And take about two feet of butcher string
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And truss the chicken Bring it under the tail of the chicken
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And over the ends of the drumsticks Loop through once and pull the chicken tight
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Then pull the ends of the string between the thighs Under the wings
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Around and under the chicken And tie again on the other side
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Make one loop, then a second loop Pull tight That is a surgeon's lock knot
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Then loop the end through and tie the chicken tight And cut off the ends of the strings
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Season the outside of the chicken all over with freshly ground black pepper
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And sprinkle the chicken with rosemary as well. Why bother trussing the chicken
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It gives it a more compact and professional appearance Next the salt crust Start with about six pounds of coarse salt kosher or sea and pour it into a bucket
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Then add about two cups of water. and start mixing the salt
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You're looking for a mixture with the consistency of wet snow. Francis Melman actually has three restaurants in South America
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including one in Garzan, Uruguay. He's also the author of a spectacular book on live-fire cooking called Seven Fires
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Okay, now to put this all together, take some of the salt
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and arrange it on a cast iron plate to make a pedestal
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Place the chicken on top, and then completely pack it in and surround it with the salt mixture
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This process of salt crusting and baking is not limited to South America
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It's also a popular technique in Italy where it's used to make salt-crusted branzino, sea bass
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Pat the salt crust with your hands to make sure there are no cracks or fissures
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Let me wash my hands and I'll show you the oven. This is a wood-burning oven. It's lined with firestone
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This is the home-size model of the professional ovens used in pizzerias and restaurants with wood-burning ovens
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A few hours earlier, I built a hardwood fire, and you use whole logs on a bed of embers
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It takes about two hours for the oven to come up to temperature. Push the embers back against the back of the wall to make room for the chicken Temperature one Mississippi two Mississippi three Mississippi
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Ouch! It's about a 400 degree fire. So take your chicken and place it in the oven
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Cooking time will be about an hour and a half. and what you want to do is turn the chicken halfway through
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so it cooks evenly on both sides. You can close the door
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I like to leave it partially open so you get good airflow. What's going to happen, you have both the radiant heat from the firestone
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the direct heat from the coals, and the smoke that's going to infuse and permeate through the salt crust
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Now, let me show you how to make the sauce. The sauce is a simple variation on South American chimichurri
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It starts with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic. Mash these ingredients together into a paste with the back of a wooden spoon
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This releases the aromatic oils from the garlic. Next, add finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
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a sort of breath freshener that counteracts the pungency of the garlic
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and diced fresh tomato. Finally, whisk in the best South American extra virgin olive oil you can find
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The idea is to make a simple condiment that complements, not overpowers, the chicken
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And you just want to check the seasoning. Mmm, bingo. That is fantastic olive oil
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So we'll open the oven door and just rotate the chicken
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Remember, the pan will be excruciatingly hot, so wear thick protective gloves And you can use a meat hook to help you turn the cast iron plate So we continue cooking the chicken another 40 minutes
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The chicken should be done. And place it on a large baking sheet
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It's very hot, so you want to let it sit for a few minutes
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Now, how do you know the chicken is cooked? Well, if you make this often enough, you sort of get a feel for it
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But you can also use an instant-read meat thermometer. Gently tap it through the crust
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You're looking for 180 degrees? We've got it. Take a heavy implement like a cleaver and..
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And of course, you want to do this in front of your company
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because it's just so utterly cool. The fragrance of the lemon of rosemary, really nice
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So then you want to take a pastry brush and start brushing off the excess salt
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The idea of salt crusting, an ancient technique designed to seal in moisture and flavor
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Finally, don't forget to cut the trussing straight. Let's see how we did
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Take a couple slices of the breast meat. and you can spoon a little of the parsley tomato sauce
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Mmm! That chicken is so moist, and surprisingly, it's not in the least bit over salty
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