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Salt-crusted Cockerel

17/11/2023

The salt-crusted cockerel is a flavorful and relatively simple dish to prepare. The salt crust allows the cockerel to be cooked evenly, keeping it soft and juicy inside. Here’s how to do it.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole cleaned cockerel (about 500-800 g)
  • 2 kg of coarse salt
  • 2 egg whites
  • Herbs such as rosemary, sage, or bay leaf (optional)
  • Black pepper (optional)
  • Grated lemon zest (optional)

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the coarse salt with the egg whites until you get a moist consistency that allows you to mold it. You can also add aromatic herbs of your choice or lemon zest to further flavor the meat.
  3. Place some of this mixture on the bottom of a baking dish to create a layer of about 1 cm.
  4. Take the cockerel and, if you wish, make some cuts on the thighs to help the heat penetrate better. You can also put some sprigs of rosemary or other herbs inside the cockerel to flavor it from the inside.
  5. Place the cockerel on the salt base in the baking dish and cover completely with the rest of the salt, forming a compact shape so that the cockerel is entirely covered. Ensure that the salt crust is without holes, otherwise, steam may escape during cooking.
  6. Bake in the middle of the oven and cook for about 60-70 minutes, depending on the size of the cockerel.
  7. Once cooked, remove the cockerel from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Then break the salt crust, which will have solidified, and carefully extract the cockerel to avoid filling it with salt.
  8. Clean the cockerel well from the residual salt, cut it as you wish, and serve immediately.

Salt-crusted cockerel is excellent served with steamed or baked vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, or fennel, which will balance out its saltiness.

Curiosity

The salt baking method is an ancient technique that allows food to be cooked evenly while keeping the juices and aromas inside. Not only for poultry but also for fish and meats, this technique guarantees a surprising result and, while keeping the food flavorful, it does not result in being excessively salty.