Staple Roast Chicken with Choose-Your-Own Sauce

Everyone should know how to roast a chicken. Mine is buttermilk-brined, stuffed with aromatics and pairs well with any of these three sauces.

I am of the opinion that if you are an adult, you should know how to roast a chicken. It’s simple. It’s nourishing. It’s perfect for meal prep. It’s always the right answer when hosting for dinner. No one is mad at a roast chicken save for those who are staunchly morally averse to eating meat of all kinds, and to be honest, this newsletter is not for them anyway.

There are as many ways to go about roasting a chicken as there are stars in the sky, but this is mine.

I like an overnight buttermilk brine because I think the golden brown color it results in is unparalleled. I like cold slices of butter tucked underneath the skin because I think it’s less messy than smearing softened butter over the top and because it’s the way I remember watching my mother do it.

I like garlic, shallot, lemon and thyme tucked into the cavity, but you can really choose whatever aromatics you want.

And more than anything, I like a sauce to go with it. This recipe includes three options - a classic gravy, aji verde, and fennel jam (as you can see, I’m using the term “sauce” extremely loosely). The intent is for you to pick whichever one calls to you, not to serve them together.

The gravy is pretty straightforward outside of the addition of dijon and thyme, which are optional, but add nice dimension, in my opinion. The fennel jam has a delicate sweetness, a decadent schmaltzy texture and salty bite to cut the richness. The aji verde is cool, herby and acidic with a hint of spice.

Gravy is nice for the winter months, fennel jam is great for the transition into spring, and aji verde is a refreshing and bright addition for when the weather is warmer. Seasonality aside, this is your own adventure, so just do what feels right.