Yogurt-Marinated Roast Chicken

By Susie Middleton

Yogurt is mildly acidic so it’s a great tenderizer; an overnight marinade in a garlic-herb yogurt makes this chicken moist and flavorful.

Serves four.

Ingredients.

One 4-lb. chicken
2 cups plain full-fat or low-fat yogurt
3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
1 large shallot, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 Tbs. cracked black peppercorns
1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Put the chicken on a cutting board breast side down. Use poultry shears to cut along both sides of the backbone; remove and discard the backbone. Flip the chicken over and press down gently to break the breastbone and flatten the breast slightly.

In a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, combine the yogurt, garlic, shallot, parsley, dill, cracked peppercorns, lemon zest, and 2 tsp. salt. Add the chicken to the bag and turn to coat well. Set in a bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade and put it skin side up on a broiler pan or on a rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Season both sides well with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken, uncovered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh reads 170°F, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and loosely tent it with foil; let rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Nutrition information (per serving):

Calories (kcal): 530; Fat (g): 30; Fat Calories (kcal): 270; Saturated Fat (g): 8; Protein (g): 59; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 12; Carbohydrates (g): 1; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 6; Sodium (mg): 520; Cholesterol (mg): 190; Fiber (g): 0;

Susie Middleton is editor at large for Fine Cooking magazine.

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