Equipment
Ingredients
Oceanic Dry Rub
- 15 g dulse flakes, finely crushed or ground
- 10 g kelp powder
- 15 g kosher salt
- 5 g black pepper, freshly ground
Chicken and Base
- 1500 g whole chicken, patted dry
- 800 g baby yellow potatoes, halved
- 2 lemon
- 1 garlic, halved crosswise
- 30 ml olive oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1175 kcal
- Protein
- 85 g
- Carbohydrates
- 46 g
- Fat
- 72 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1890 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 20 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Potassium
- 2009 mg
- Calcium
- 132 mg
- Iron
- 7.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 71 mg
- Phosphorus
- 142 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 313 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 78 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 12 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.21 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.09 mg
- Niacin
- 2.3 mg
- Folate
- 41 mcg
- Water
- 212 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 220C/425F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the dulse flakes, kelp powder, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir until well integrated.
Place the halved potatoes, lemon slices, and garlic halves into the cast-iron skillet. Drizzle with 15ml of olive oil, sprinkle with a pinch of the oceanic dry rub, and toss evenly. Spread them out to form a flat bed.
Thoroughly dry the whole chicken inside and out with paper towels. Drizzle the remaining 15ml of olive oil over the bird and massage it into the skin. Rub the remaining seaweed mixture evenly over all sides and inside the cavity. Stuff the cavity with the halved lemon. Wash hands and thoroughly sanitize any surfaces that come into contact with the raw chicken.
Place the seasoned chicken breast-side up directly on top of the bed of potatoes and lemons in the skillet.
Roast the chicken at 220C/425F for 15 minutes to render the skin, then reduce the oven temperature to 190C/375F. Continue roasting for another 50 to 60 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 74C/165F.
Carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let it rest for 15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Leave the potatoes in the hot skillet to absorb the remaining schmaltz and juices before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Dulse and kelp are exceptionally high in naturally occurring glutamates. This amplifies the deeply savory flavors of poultry and root vegetables without requiring excessive sodium.
- For the crispiest skin, leave the seasoned chicken uncovered in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before roasting. This dry-brining process dehydrates the skin while allowing the salt and umami to deeply penetrate the meat.
- Do not discard the roasted lemons or garlic. Squeeze the soft, caramelized garlic cloves out of their skins and mash them into the potatoes. The roasted lemon halves can be squeezed over the carved chicken for a sweet, mellow acidity.
- If your kelp powder is coarse, run it through a spice grinder with the black pepper to ensure it adheres smoothly to the chicken skin without creating gritty spots.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store chicken and potatoes in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Chicken freezes well; potatoes may become mealy upon thawing.
Reheating: Reheat in a 175C/350F oven for 15 minutes to re-crisp the skin.
Troubleshooting
Chicken skin is pale and flabby
Cause: Excess surface moisture prevented frying, or the oven was not hot enough during the initial roast
Fix: Place under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning
Prevention: Pat the chicken completely dry before oiling, and ensure oven is fully preheated
Potatoes are undercooked or hard
Cause: Potato halves were too large or skillet was overcrowded
Fix: After removing the chicken to rest, return the skillet with potatoes to the oven for an additional 10 to 15 minutes
Prevention: Cut potatoes into smaller, uniform 1-inch pieces
Seaweed rub tastes gritty
Cause: Dulse or kelp flakes were too large
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Grind seaweed in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle before mixing with salt
Cultural Context
Utilizing seaweed in roasted land proteins bridges coastal foraging traditions with classic European roasting techniques. Kelp and dulse have been harvested along North Atlantic and Pacific shores for centuries, traditionally used to stretch stews and enrich broths. In this application, they act as a potent dry rub, elevating a humble one-pan roast chicken into a globally-inspired, umami-rich centerpiece.
