Salt Baked Chicken

Salt Baked Chicken is a simple, hearty and very fun meal that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Imagine having fun removing the salt crust together and eating with your hands!

Salt crust baking is a traditional technique which enables hot steam to circulate all around the chicken it also helps to seal in all the meat juices keeping the chicken moist and tender. We created our own spice rub using Sichuan peppercorns and other spices to elevate the flavours.

Additionally, we baked the chicken over indirect heat on the Weber Genesis with the Gourmet BBQ System which keeps its juicy and tender on the inside. Find out more about Weber here!

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  • Servings: 4

  • Time: 1 hr 10 min

  • Skill: Intermediate

Ingredients

  1. 1 large chicken (1.4kg-1.6kg)

  2. Spice Rub:

  3. 1 tablespoon salt

  4. 1 tablespoon white peppercorns

  5. 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns

  6. 5 teaspoons spice mix powder (1 teaspoon fennel powder, 1 teaspoon star anise powder ,1 teaspoon cinnamon powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder and 1 teaspoon liquorice root powder)

  7. Salt Crust:

  8. 3 egg whites

  9. 1 kg coarse salt

  10. Baking paper

  11. Aluminum foil

Instructions

  1. In the kitchen:

  2. Add all the spice rub ingredients in a spice blender and process till you get a fine powder mixture.

  3. Lay out enough baking paper to wrap the chicken.

  4. Place chicken on baking paper and add spice rub to both the cavity and outside of chicken

  5. Wrap chicken in baking paper and secure with butcher twine.

  6. Add 3 egg whites to a bowl and whisk till soft peaks form.

  7. Add and mix in 1 kg of coarse salt.

  8. Lay out enough Aluminum foil to wrap chicken.

  9. Add ⅓ of the salt mixture to the foil, then place chicken on top.

  10. Cover the chicken with the rest of the salt mixture until a crust is formed around it.

  11. Add another piece of foil on top and wrap the chicken in foil.

  12. At the barbecue:

  13. Prepare the grill for indirect cooking over medium heat (250°C) with the Weber GBS and pizza stone or a baking tray lined with aluminum foil.

  14. Place the chicken which is wrapped in foil onto the GBS pizza stone or baking tray, cook for 45 minutes with the lid down.

  15. Remove chicken from grill and let it rest for 5 minutes.