Classic Baked Chicken

Oh my!  

Winner winner, chicken dinner!  Thanks to Simply Recipes where I found this delightful baked chicken dish.  The only change was that I gave my chicken pieces an overnight bath in buttermilk!

Take a 3 to 4 pound young chicken and cut into pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breasts -- which I cut down into 4 pieces.)  Rinse the chicken pieces, place in a large container, pour buttermilk over, cover and place in the fridge overnight.  The buttermilk bath will make a big difference in the finished product.

Next day, drain and rinse the chicken pieces, pat them dry, and place back in the fridge uncovered to dry some more.  This helps to ensure the golden brown finish on the chicken skins when they are baked.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Rub some olive oil all over the chicken pieces, place in a foil lined roasting pan.  Sprinkle both sides with sea salt and black pepper.  Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up and leave a little room between pieces.  (My salt and pepper shakers are made from little empty wine bottles, they are cute, don't you think?)

Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.  At about 20 minutes into baking, I found that my chicken was steaming instead of roasting because of the juices that came off the chicken.  If this happens, just take it out of the oven, and drain off the liquid.  Return to continue baking.

After the 30 minutes, lower the heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake for another 10 -30 minutes OR until juices run clear, white meat temp is 165 degrees and dark meat thighs 170 degrees.  Let rest for 5 minutes after baking before serving.

Winner winner, chicken dinner indeed!  Tonight we also had creamy coleslaw and steamed green beans.  Wish I could have had a photo of the dark meat, but it was devoured so quickly that the photo opportunity was gone!

Enjoy friends!