Snyder’s hive, assemble! If you too love those tangy, oniony, otherworldly yellow honey mustard pretzels, this roast chicken is for you. The key to nailing the quintessential flavor is S&B hot mustard powder; made in Japan, it’s a base for Chinese hot mustard that needs only a bit of water to rehydrate. Here you combine it with Dijon, onion powder, honey, butter, and olive oil to create a condiment that plays just as nicely with roast chicken as it does french fries and pork cutlets. Of course, to really drive the pretzel point home, this dish is garnished with a showering of buttery pretzel bread crumbs (made from thick pretzel rods, though you could use any pretzel style in a pinch) for a salty, malty finish.
Buying the S&B is crucial to this recipe’s success—other mustard powders just can’t compare with the brand’s heat and pungency. But you’ll put the rest of the tin to good use, in salad dressings, stewy braises, and condiments for anything crispy or fried.
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What you’ll need
S&B Hot Mustard Powder
$6 At Amazon
Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Silicone Pastry Brush
$11 At Amazon
Small Saucepan
$155 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 25 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1
1
3
1
4
2½
2½
¼
4
2
⅓
Preparation
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425°. Sprinkle one 3½–4-lb. whole chicken, patted dry, all over with 1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and rub in to coat.
Step 2
Place 1 lb. small potatoes, halved, quartered if larger, and 4 large shallots, peeled, quartered through root ends, in a 12"-diameter cast-iron skillet. Drizzle with oil, season generously with salt, and sprinkle with 1 tsp. Chinese hot mustard powder and ½ tsp. onion powder. Toss to coat and arrange in a single layer. Place chicken, breast side up, on top. Roast until chicken is very light golden, about 30 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, stir ¼ cup Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. honey, 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, remaining ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, remaining 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. Chinese hot mustard powder, remaining 2 tsp. onion powder, and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to combine.
Step 4
Brush chicken, potatoes, and shallots all over with some mustard mixture. Return to oven and roast, covering breast with foil if skin starts to get too dark, until potatoes are tender, shallots are jammy, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 155° (temperature will climb to 160° as it rests), 20–30 minutes. Let chicken rest in skillet 10 minutes. Carve as desired.
Step 5
Cook remaining mustard mixture in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 Tbsp. honey. Transfer sauce to a small bowl; rinse out pan. Combine pretzels and remaining 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted, in same pan and cook over medium-high, tossing, until coated, about 2 minutes.
Step 6
Divide chicken, potatoes, and shallots among plates; scatter ⅓ cup coarsely crushed thick pretzel rods over. Top with lots of dill sprigs and season with freshly ground pepper. Drizzle sauce over or serve on the side for dipping.