This method of cooking chicken would never have been invented if roasting bags had been invented in medieval France. The concept is simple, provide a means to seal the cooking space of thing being cooked thus preventing loss of moisture and the result will be a tender and succulent. A roasting bag does this for a few pence and a lot less mess. However, encrusting the center piece of the meal in 5 lb of salt and breaking it off with theatrical flourish followed by the surprised outbursts of "this is good and doesn't taste of salt" provides something to talk about. All for the cost of a 5 lb of chicken fat encrusted salt, a small price for good conversation.
A 5 lb (2.5 kg) chicken
4 to 6 lb (2 - 3 kg) of cooking or coarse
salt
Equipment
Uncoated iron garden wire and baking foil.
Method
Use a deep baking tin which contains the chicken leaving less than an inch (2.5 cm) of surrounding space. The purpose of the garden wire is to provide a means of extracting a lump of salt encrusted chicken from a tight fitting tin. Lay two lengths of wire across the bottom of the tin at right angles. Force two sheets of foil at right angles to each other into the tin to form a lining. Pour enough salt into the tin to form a 1 inch ( 2.5 cm) layer, place the chicken on this layer. Now cover the chicken in salt, manipulate the foil lining so that there is an even thickness of salt over the bird and limit the spillage of salt. Fold the bits of wire over the top. Place in the oven at gas mark 8 for three hours. The salt acts as an insulating layer as well as a seal, hence the long, hot cooking process.
The salt will form a crust, take care when breaking it off to ensure that chicken and salt are kept apart.
Comment
It really works. Obviously, anyone attempting a low salt diet should avoid this method of cooking.
Page Created: 8th December 2000