Click on the image to get a larger one, now. Check out the juicy porky love puddlin’ below. Come up to the wing there, right there. Golden crunch perfection. Look at the thigh & leg portion, crispy poppy. Hop up on top of the breast portion, see the darker bits? That right there is the Danish Viking-smoked salt. And if move ever so slightly to the right and look carefully you can see the bacon poking out. Do you have any idea what a high roast, viking-smoked salt chicken stuffed with bacon smells like ?!? No? You can you know, all it takes is a little effort and a teaspoon of Danish Viking-Smoked Sea Salt. Oh and a nice chicken and two strips of your favorite bacon. I’m sorry and feel like a bonehead for not keeping this stuff in stock over the last year or two. Never again.
There’s rarely anything in your kitchen that can deliver so much flavor and attitude to so many dishes, so well. The viking salt shows up with some fairly large crystals. This tells us that it’ll take baking and searing without going away. When you want punch & crunch, it’s there. Or you can do what I did for the chicken, grind it up a bit so it isn’t quite so strong. Yeah.
This chicky got washed and more than thoroughly dried, use a fan if you are able. Take one strip of bacon and slide under the skin, over the breast portion and down to the wing area on each side. Viking salt the inside along with some fresh ground pepper, I used some of the Balinese Long Peppercorns. Then pat the salt on to the exterior of the bird. It’s kinda tough, the salt don’t stick well. I was thinking maybe a tad of olive oil next time, good glue. Not sure what it’ll do at 450 degrees for an hour. Always worth a try once, eh?
Truss up the legs and tie off. Introduce in to a roaster or cast iron skillet with the trivet on the bottom (you want hot air all the way around the chicken, cooks evenly). Make sure your roaster or skillet doesn’t have really high sides. It keeps the direct heat from browning well the lower portions of the chicken. Install in to a preheated 450 degree oven for an hour.
Pull & let rest.
A high roast chicken is already good with just kosher salt. Add the smoked salt and bacon and you’ve got something you won’t soon forget. Biggles suggests a green salad with this meal, why? Because it’s all about the chicken this time, nothing else.
An important thing to remember here, is to figure out whether you want a crunchy, smoked salt blast? Or just a smoke blast. If you aren’t paying attention and just sprinkle it over your asparagus as is, you may have more than you were willing to deal with. This isn’t salt for the weak hearted. If iodized table salt is what you prefer, then do not attempt this at home or at work. But if you are yearning for a spring time fling, dial in Salt Traders and give it a whirl.
Xo Xo
Biggles,
Your entries are sounding suspiciously like porn… I love it!
You have me sold on that salt. I’m buying some right now.
M
Hey Meg,
Man, it was wonderful. It’s just how it went, you know. Roast chicken with bacon.
I love bacon. I love chicken. I love smoke flavor. How could I not love this?
Also, I believe the word “bacon” should always be followed by an exclaimation point.
For example, “bacon!”
Ain’t that at Strunk and White thing? I’m gonna look it up….
OH. YUM.
I see you are at it again, Biggles!!
That is one sexy chicken and I do love the look of your salt foto!
I was excited to find some Spice Island Smoked Salt in Paris a few weeks ago (fine grains of salt tho)…now I MUST have some of those Danish Crystals! It is always something, huh?
Melissa
Hey Melissa,
You need to be wary of the smoked salt. There are so many versions these days. Most of which are either kosher salt or standard iodized table salt with Liquid Smoke added. While this version will add some interesting characteristics, the Danish Viking-smoked Sea Salt is quite a different beast. Here’s a quote from the Salt Trader’s web site:
Danish Viking-Smoked Salt is made in a style devised by the Vikings, thanks to the efforts of one man in Denmark, who took it upon himself to rekindle this millennium-old tradition. The salt is produced by first evaporating seawater, then using a “fizzing” (evaporating) process, which takes place in a vessel over an open, smoky fire containing juniper, cherry, elm, beech and oak. “The resulting salt,” according to the April 2002 issue of SAVEUR Magazine, “tastes like a bonfire.”
Neat.
Biggles
Arrrgggh, Doc…the price is killing me, but I think you’ve driven me to getting that salt. You’re an evil salt-porn pusher.
Hey Moira,
Yeah, it ain’t cheap. To make yourself feel better, get some of those less expensive peppercorns. That’s what I did. YAHOOOOO !!!
The Black Pearl restaurant in Denver sprinkles this salt on its table butter. I have been back twice in two weeks – just for the salt. It tastes like bacon, capers and smoke. Three of my favorite flavors. Do not miss it. This salt is fabulous.
Hey Justyn,
No kidding? MmmMmm, table butter.
I ordered the variety sampler pack for a friend for Christmas, but ordered the Viking Smoked Salt for myself. I couldn’t keep my hands out of the bottle the day I received it. My hands still smell like smoked salt. I cannot WAIT to try this recipe….Dr. Biggles….do you suggest trying the recipe with more BACON! ?
Hey Miriam,
Oh man, I remember this dinner !!! Thanks for stopping by and reminding me, how kind.
You can never go wrong with more bacon, I don’t think. Don’t forget to make the gravy, it’s important.
The next time you place an order, make sure you get some of the Creamy White Sarawak Peppercorns. It isn’t your grandmother’s white peppercorns, for sure. I can’t go without them. I use it 9 times out of 10 for the grind at the table or at the stove. Love.
Tootles
This is the type of salt that started me down the salt road! I now make my own, but I craft it out of a higher quality of salt then lower the smokiness with NW alder wood. I then infuse flavors like olive, pinot noir, chardonnay, serrano pepper and lime, hazelnut, and yes chocolate. That way I can use it on everything from seafood to drink rims. It’s a scary addiction! At least it keeps me off the streets.
you can check my salt out at http://www.lordsofsalt.com.
Hey Eric,
I just checked out the site, I dunno man. Those salts don’t appeal to me, wine flavor? Chocolate salt? I saw nothing as amazing as the image I took of the smoked salt from salttraders.com. Looks like the awards are all for Mustards, I’d say those would be worth trying.
Show me yours is better!
Biggles
this stuff looks delicous send me the recipe sometime thanks