By: chezchanelle
RECIPES, ,

Buttermilk Roast Chicken

With “Swiss Chalet” Style Gravy

Truth be told, as a child – I reallyyy didn’t like Swiss chalet sauce at all; I found it bland and watery. But now, I am really here for the tanginess of this sauce and I’ve become such a “jus” person that this is the perfect sauce of chicken – if ya ask me!

Notes about this recipe before we get started!

  1. Truth be told, I ran out of butcher’s twine so instead I soaked two wooden skewers in water for about an hour and then used those to secure the legs. Wasn’t perfect but it worked in a pinch!
  2. No matter what kind of roast chicken you’re making, this recipe or any, always take it out at least an hour before cooking! You want it room temp before cooking or else the chicken skin will likely tear (this goes for turkeys too).
  3. If you feel like your chicken is getting too browned, you can over with foil to finish cooking. All ovens are different and mine runs really hot on convection settings so I finished mine with foil. But don’t worry – you want it browned/closed to blackened – it tastes delicious!
  4. For the gravy, I used 2 cups of my own vegetable broth that I made from my vegetable déchats that I’m always preaching about! (Aka the bits and bobs of vegetables from the week that I put into a freezer bag to use for future stocks). You can do this or use 2 cups of chicken stock or 2 cups vegetable stock with a chicken bouillon cube.
Ingredients

Chicken:

  • 1 – 3½- to 4-pound chicken
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • Dash of tabasco
  • 1 tsp seasoning salt, 1-2 tbsp kosher salt
  • Butcher’s twine

“Swiss Chalet” style gravy

  • 2 cups chicken broth (or 2 cups homemade vegetable broth with 1 chicken boullion cube)
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp tomato paste, 1 squirt ketchup
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp tabasco (or to taste), 1/2 tsp Worcestershire
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp warm water, 2 tbsp cornstarch
Preparation:
  1. The day ahead of cooking, season the chicken with kosher salt and let rest while you combine the rest of the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together until well combined.
  2. Place the chicken in a sealable freezer bag and add the buttermilk mixture. Seal the bag and rotate the bag, pushing the marinade into the chicken until it’s fully coated the chicken. Place in a bowl or on a plate in the fridge until ready to cook.
  3. Remove from the fridge at least one hour prior to cooking so it’s room temp (this is important) then preheat the oven to 400F. Remove the chicken from the bag and wipe off excess buttermilk.
  4. Place on a roasting dish and tie together the legs using butcher’s twine. Place on the centre rack of the oven with the legs towards the back and cook for about 50 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temp of 165 and the juices run clear. Rotate the chicken every 20 minutes or so that it’s evenly browned. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
  5. For the sauce, whisk together all the ingredients except water, cornstarch and butter.
  6. Add the mixture to a preheated saucepan and bring to a low boil, simmering for about 5-10 minutes. After about 5 minutes, add the butter.
  7. In a separate bowl, whisk together warm water and cornstarch until dissolved and add to the sauce, whisking until combined and the sauce has thickened.
  8. Serve hot on the side of roast chicken. Enjoy!