This isn’t the crisp-skinned, high-heat roast chicken you’re probably familiar with. Instead, it’s a melt-in-your-mouth tender, schmaltzy, slow-roast version that’s more similar to rotisserie chicken—except (bonus!) it gets slathered in the funky-spicy-sweet gochujang. And while the meat might be the star of the show, don't discount those buttery-soft, nearly-confited potatoes, which cook gently in the chicken fat. Makes you wonder why you haven't always been roasting long-cooking vegetables—carrots, cauliflower, turnips (?!), winter squash, fennel—under the bird for a built-in side, huh?
Notes
Do Ahead: Chicken can be seasoned 12 hours ahead. Chill chicken if you’re not going to cook within 2 hours of seasoning.
Ingredients
- 1 3½–4 pound whole chicken - or equivalent bone-in skin-on parts
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - plus more
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
- 5 tablespoons gochujang
- 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - divided (¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons)
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 ½-inch piece fresh ginger
- 1½ pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes - about 1½" in diameter
- 5 scallions
- 2 limes
- 2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
Season the chicken:
- Place a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 300°.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
- Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and season all over with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper, making sure to season the inside cavity if using a whole bird.
Make the sauce:
- Whisk 5 tablespoons of gochujang and ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil in a medium bowl until combined.
- Finely grate 3 garlic cloves (from one of the heads of garlic) into the gochujang oil.
- Peel a 1 ½-inch piece fresh ginger (a spoon can get the job done), then grate into gochujang oil; whisk to combine.
Marinate the chicken:
- Cut what’s left of the head of garlic in half crosswise. Repeat with second head of garlic.
- If using a whole chicken, stuff 2 garlic halves inside cavity of chicken. Tie legs together with kitchen twine.
- Using a pastry brush, brush half of gochujang oil over chicken.
Marinate the potatoes:
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil to the remaining gochujang oil and whisk to combine.
- Add the potatoes and garlic halves to the gochujang oil and toss until well coated.
- Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss again to combine.
Arrange the chicken and potatoes in the skillet:
- Arrange potatoes in a 12" cast-iron skillet, scooting them toward edges of pan to make space for chicken.
- Nestle garlic halves (cut sides down) in center of skillet.
- Place chicken over garlic—as it roasts, it will infuse the fat (and thus, the potatoes) with flavor. If any potatoes have shimmied their way under the chicken, use tongs to arrange them around it (they won’t cook at the same rate if they’re under the chicken).
Roast and rest the chicken:
- Roast chicken and potatoes, turning potatoes once or twice to coat in juices and oil that accumulate in pan, until potatoes are very tender when pressed with the back of a spoon, and chicken skin is deep reddish-golden brown in color, 2½–3 hours. When you wiggle the legs of the chicken, they should feel loose in the joints, meaning the meat is fall-apart tender.
- Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 10–15 minutes. Don't skip this step: Letting the bird rests helps the juices in the meat to settle (in other words, it makes the meat juicier).
Finish the potatoes:
- Meanwhile, use the back of a large spoon or a potato masher to gently smash potatoes in skillet, exposing some of their flesh to juices underneath so they can soak them up.
- Thinly slice 5 scallions on a long diagonal.
- Cut 2 limes in half. Cut 1 half into wedges and set aside.
- Stir 2 teaspoons of honey and juice of remaining lime half into potatoes.
- Taste potatoes and season with more salt if needed.
- Scatter sliced scallions over potatoes.
Carve the chicken and serve:
- Carve the chicken, then arrange the pieces over the potatoes and scallions.
- Serve right out of skillet with remaining lime wedges alongside for squeezing, and squeeze out the sweet, slow-roasted garlic cloves as you wish.
Nutrition
Calories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 5gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1765mgPotassium: 926mgFiber: 5gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 211IUVitamin C: 54mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 2mg