For Better Roast Chicken, Make It With This Jacques Pépin-Approved Brine

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A roast chicken is a classic with good reason. Easy to make and deeply satisfying, it's hard to beat a juicy, flavorful bird with a golden crispy skin for a comforting dinner any night of the week. Of course there are many different recipes and techniques from around the world, but it's the traditional French roast chicken, like the one perfected by Julia Child, that usually comes to mind. 

So when Samin Nosrat, an Iranian-American chef, TV host, food writer, and podcaster, decided to give her roast chicken a twist by brining it overnight in buttermilk and salt, she had no idea that it would win the approval of a modern master of French cuisine: Jacques Pépin, who literally wrote the book about cooking chicken.

Nosrat, author of James Beard Award–winning, New York Times bestselling cookbook, "Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat," described the exciting endorsement on Sophie Dahl's At The Kitchen Table website. "I was cooking a dozen of these chickens for a special event when a friend who was hosting Jacques Pépin that very same day called in a panic to ask if I could prepare a picnic basket for the legendary chef," she says. 

She acted quickly. "I wrapped up a bird, green salad, and some crusty bread and sent it on its way before I could overthink it," says Nosrat. "Later that night, I received a message from Mr. Pépin saying that everything was classically perfect and entirely delicious. I can't think of a better endorsement for this recipe."

Nosrat was working at an Italian restaurant in NYC, where she roasted chickens over a wood fire. "Eventually, I came up with the idea to marinate the birds in buttermilk overnight, like southern grandmothers do," she said. The acid in buttermilk helps tenderize the chicken and adds a pleasant tangy flavor.

To replicate the brine, dissolve two tablespoons of kosher salt — you can substitute four tablespoons of fine sea salt — in two cups of buttermilk. Put the whole chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag and pour the brine over it, massaging it into the meat. Refrigerate for 24 hours if possible, turning the bag here and there to make sure all parts of the chicken are in contact with the brine at some point. 

Remove the chicken from the fridge an hour before roasting at 425 degrees Fahrenheit in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or shallow roasting pan for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and continue roasting for another 30 minutes, rotating the chicken halfway through so it browns evenly. Let it rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

You could marinate the chicken pieces separately, but there's a strong argument for roasting a chicken whole to yield tastier results. If the chicken doesn't fit, Nosrat reccomends using two doubled up plastic produce bags tied up with twine to prevent the brine from leaking. Either way, it's certainly worth giving this method a try.