Spice-Rubbed Picnic Chicken
How do you give cold picnic chicken great flavor without flabby, sticky skin? As with James Bond's martinis, the secret is shaken, not stirred.
A cookbook recipe exclusively for ATK Essential members from The Complete Summer CookbookGather Your Ingredients
Key Equipment
Before You Begin
If you plan to serve the chicken later on the same day that you cook it, refrigerate it immediately after it has cooled, and then let it come to room temperature before serving. On the breast pieces, we use toothpicks to secure the skin, which otherwise shrinks considerably in the oven, leaving the meat exposed and prone to drying out. We think the extra effort is justified, but you can omit this step. This recipe can easily be halved. For a spicier chicken, use the greater amount of cayenne.
Instructions
1.
Use sharp knife to make 2 or 3 short slashes in skin of each piece of chicken, taking care not to cut into meat. Combine sugar, salt, chili powder, paprika, pepper, and cayenne in small bowl and mix thoroughly. Coat chicken pieces with spice mixture, gently lifting skin to distribute spice rub underneath but leaving it attached to chicken. Transfer chicken, skin side up, to wire rack set in aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet, tent with foil, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.
2.
Discard top layer of foil. Secure skin of each breast piece with 2 or 3 toothpicks placed near edges of skin, if desired.
3.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Roast chicken until smallest piece registers 140 degrees, 15 to 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees and continue to roast until breasts register 160 degrees and drumsticks/thighs register 175 degrees, 5 to 13 minutes, removing pieces from oven and transferring them to clean wire rack as they finish cooking. Let cool completely before refrigerating or serving. (Chicken can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)
Test Kitchen Techniques
Recommended Reading
0 Comments
Posting GuidelinesFROM OUR TV SPONSORS
We are thankful to the sponsors who make it possible for us to bring you the America's Test Kitchen TV series on public television. Read more about why we have sponsors.