Al Sale! Chicken this time!

[caption id=”attachment_565" align=”aligncenter” width=”500" caption=”Juicy Chicken”]

[/caption]

Some may find chicken al sale a strange combination since many associate the al sale method with fish. Yet, I wanted to try this recipe and the result was a juicy tender chicken! The recipe follows for you to try.

Chicken baked in salt

Ingredients for 4 people:

• 1.5kg whole corn-fed chicken
• 2kg sea salt
• a bunch of myrtle (a Sardinian herb which can be substituted for rosemary or thyme)
• 2 egg whites
• 8 small potatoes in their skin
• black pepper

Clean the chicken from any insides, wash and pat dry with kitchen paper towels. Season its cavity with freshly ground black pepper and place the myrtle (or other herb) sprigs inside the cavity. Tie the chicken legs with a string. Prepare the potatoes by scrubbing them and drying them up. It is important that you leave their skin on otherwise they absorb the salt and will not be edible.

Take a large oven-proof dish, which can fit the whole chicken well and cover the base with a layer of sea salt. Then place the chicken on top and insert the whole potatoes around the chicken. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until fluffy and add to the remaining sea salt. Add some myrtle or herbs to the mixture and cover the chicken well leaving no parts of it exposed. Place in a pre-heated oven to 200 degrees celsius and cook for an hour. When ready, leave to rest for 20 minutes then break the salt crust and serve with the potatoes.

[caption id=”attachment_564" align=”aligncenter” width=”500" caption=”Chicken baked in sea salt crust”]

[/caption]