Buttermilk Roast Chicken

My oldest son is in a food phase. When he was little he was very easy to please. So much so that he loved spicy foods and I once caught him eating a whole jalapeno out of the fridge (and he loved it!). That all changed when he started school last year. Gone was my easy going child, replaced by a child that whined and complained about literally everything I made. Well, with one exception cookies. Since cookies all the time aren't so great, it has been a struggle figuring out what he will and won't eat. Luckily I have learned that his wants fall into three categories: chicken, pork and shrimp. If a meal has one of those meats clearly viable he will eat it. However, always to be one to keep mommy on her toes I learned last week that if you put a green cilantro sauce (which was delicious) on top of the roasted chicken he will complain the whole meal and refuse to eat his serving. Dinner time has turned into a stare down between the two of use. I will give the kid that he still asks to be excused, so at least his great manners haven't been completely eroded by his peers. So if you have noticed a lot of chicken, pork and shrimp on my blog lately you now know the culprit. Last month I tried a new recipe for Buttermilk Roast Chicken from Everyday Food, which looked simple and perfect for my very vocal six-year-old.

This recipe has 6 ingredients. It takes 35 minutes of total time, 10 minutes of which is active and makes 4 servings. I have horrible luck finding fresh herbs in my area and had to go to two separate stores to find fresh dill. I really wish that the neighborhood animals wouldn't destroy any outdoor herb garden I have ever tried to start. My indoor cats have eaten every attempt at growing them indoors also, so it seems to be a trend. I let my chicken sit in the fridge 24 hours before cooking. I like a long marinade time on my meats, I think the flavor lends better that way. Make sure to pat the chicken fully before placing it in the oven to roast. If you miss this important step your chicken will not have that great crispy skin that most people love, but instead be soggy and unappetizing. I found that I had to cook my thighs a little longer than the 25 minutes suggested by the recipe in order to be at the appropriate temp. If you don't have a great thermometer to temp meat, put it on your Christmas list. I had to force myself to spend a hundred dollars on the one that I have and it was the best kitchen gadget I have bought in a long time. It makes making any type of meat so much easier and prevents over-cooking, which can have a great deal of impact on the taste of your food. I followed the remainder of the recipe as written.

If you are looking for a simple roasted chicken dish with a great herb flavor this recipe is perfect. It isn't fancy, it's just an easy weekday meal. Everyone in my family (including my picky son) enjoyed this recipe. My husband isn't a fan of chicken skin (I on the other hand love it!), so he picked his skin off and thought that the meat was very moist from the marinade. This recipe would be great with rice or couscous infused with olive oil and fresh dill. The dill in the rice and the chicken would work well together. Green beans with butter and dill would be another delicious option.

For the recipe go to Buttermilk Roasted Chicken.