Recipe of the week: Salt-crust chicken, grilled the Argentine way

Francis Mallmann is South America’s most famous chef, with three restaurants: one in Mendoza, Argentina’s wine country; another in Buenos Aires; and a third in the picturesque village of Garzón, Uruguay. The London Times recently named his restaurant 1884 the seventh-best in the world.

Mallmann, who grew up in the Andes, has become famous for trailblazing new ­grilling techniques. He’s gathered a sampling­ of his recipes, from griddled mussels to an entire roasted cow, in Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way (Artisan). “Food critics­ often say that the measure of a great ­restaurant is its roast chicken,” he notes. While a salt-crust chicken does not offer a crunchy crust, it does achieve something “even more important”—moist white meat.

Recipe of the week

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Salt-Crust Chicken

1 chicken, about 3-1⁄2 pounds

5 fresh thyme sprigs

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 fresh bay leaves

9 pounds kosher salt (three 3-pound boxes)

Salsa Lucía (see recipe)

Heat oven (with rack positioned in lower third of oven) to 500 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Put thyme, garlic, bay leaves in cavity; truss with kitchen twine. Empty salt into sink (or bucket if working outdoors). Pour 2 cups water over salt and, using your hands, toss to combine. Add more water as needed, a cup or two at a time, tossing until mixture has consistency of damp snow.

Make 1-inch-deep bed of salt in roasting pan; tamp it down. Place chicken in center. Stick probe of meat thermometer into thickest part of thigh. Cover chicken completely with remaining salt, tamping it down so it is completely encased. Transfer chicken to the oven and roast for 35 to 40 minutes; internal temperature of thigh should read 175 degrees. Spread news­papers on counter next to sink. Remove pan from oven, place on newspaper, and let rest for 10 minutes (internal temperature will rise to about 185 degrees).

Crack salt crust with rolling pin or mallet,­ lift off pieces, and discard them. With ­pastry brush, brush remaining salt away from chicken. Carefully pull off skin from breasts and legs. Slice off breasts from bone; cut into 1⁄2-inch-thick slices. Slice meat from legs and thighs. Arrange meat on warm platter; spoon salsa over chicken. Serves 4.

Salsa Lucía

This fresh salsa was invented by Lucía Soria, my second-in-command at important events such as the inaugural dinner for Argentina’s president.

1⁄2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, minced

1 tbsp capers, rinsed, dried, and minced

2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 red bell pepper, minced

1 green bell pepper, minced

1 small red onion, minced

1⁄2 tsp grated orange zest

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine olives, capers, thyme, garlic, bell peppers, onion, orange zest, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Whisk in olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Makes about 2 cups.