- Combine 2 cups of buttermilk with a generous amount of salt. (Yes, I know this is kind of disgusting. Just trust me.)
- Place chicken inside a gallon-sized plastic bag. Add buttermilk-salt mixture and seal. Gently slosh chicken around in buttermilk mixture until coated. For extra insurance against leakage, place gallon-sized plastic bag inside a second plastic bag.
- Refrigerate overnight. In a pinch, you can refrigerate for 3 hours.
- Remove bags 30-60 mins before cooking. Set oven to 425.
- Unseal bags and, without dumping too much buttermilk out, place chicken atop a cast-iron skillet. Tie legs with butcher's twine (optional).
- Place skillet in the back of the oven, with the legs facing towards the rear left corner and the breast facing the center. This ensures the bird cooks evenly.
- Cook at 425 for 20 minutes; the bird will start to sizzle.
- Lower heat to 400 and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Turn bird so that legs face rear right corner and breast is still pointing to the center.
- Cook for an additional 30 minutes.
- Insert a knife between thigh and body. If the chicken is done, the juice that comes out will run clear. If there's any sort of redness or blood, rotate chicken with the legs facing the rear left corner and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
- Remove bird. Let sit for 10 minutes before carving.
Eat straight-up or use meat in sandwiches or chicken noodle soup. You can also save the corpse to make chicken broth by simmering it in water for several hours.
