Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You are a cooking god or goddess. You see a woman in her kitchen with a whole, uncooked thawed chicken. She loves chicken and would like to have roast chicken for
dinner. She is learning how to cook and needs help. How would you guide her?
Preheat the oven to a temperature of 375
(calculate a cooking time of 20 minutes per pound of meat plus an additional 10 - 20 minutes. So a 5 lb chicken will need to be roasting in the oven for at least 1 hour 50 minutes.
Some people prefer to set the oven temperature to 450 and roast the bird at this high temperature for the first 10 - 15 minutes or the last 10 - 15 minutes. The rest of the time the chicken should be roasted at 375. The short time of higher heat will result in a really crispy and brown skin.
The first thing to do with your chicken after you have removed it from its packaging is to remove the giblets from the body cavity. You can find them usually wrapped up in the abdominal cavity.
With a chicken you also need to check to see whether the kidneys have been removed. The kidneys are located in the tail end of the bird, in the abdominal cavity and they are a dark red color.
The chicken should then be rinsed under a cold running tap and patted dry with a kitchen towel.
Place the chicken on a wire rack set in a shallow roasting pan and grease the skin of the chicken with either butter or olive oil.
Then season the bird with salt and pepper. Salt and pepper can also be rubbed into the body cavity for additional flavor.
For a simple roasted chicken, the bird would now be ready to place inside the oven.
Or try any of the following:
Season the bird inside and out with a selection of herbs such as rosemary, thyme, sage or tarragon.
Stuff some herbs under the skin of the bird for even more flavor.
Place half an onion and some garlic into the body cavity.
Fill the cavity with orange or lemon wedges.
Insert the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken's thigh, without touching the bone. The chicken is done at 180.
Every 20-30 minutes remove the chicken from the oven and close the oven door to keep the heat in. With a spoon or a brush, pour or brush the fat and juices that have accumulated in the roasting pan, over the bird.
Basting will keep the meat moist, stop the skin from burning, and give the chicken a crispy skin.
If you find that the chicken is browning too quickly during cooking, then loosely cover with a large piece of aluminum foil until it is done. Covering the chicken will also keep the meat from drying out.
Roast the chicken for the correct amount of time and then remove it from the oven.
If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can check that the meat has been properly cooked in two ways: The drumstick should move about freely when wiggled and/or the juices of the chicken run clear when you spear it in a leg.
When properly cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and leave it to rest for 15 - 20 minutes. This will allow the juices to settle.
Once the chicken has rested, it will then be ready to carve and serve.
Gandalara was dead on. Couldn't improve on it. A whole roast chicken is one of the easiest and frankly, one of the loveliest things a cook can make. There is nothing homier or more inviting than the sight of a golden brown roast chicken on the table. Pretty much anyone the world over can appreciate it. Good luck and keep cooking!
the only thing I might do a little differently: I love to put citrus, cut in half both in the cavity and then a sliced couple between the skin and meat. it gives it a wonderful flavor and aroma.
I like oven method too, a lot. Its easy. But if you don't have the time, you can always stick the chicken in the crock pot with cut up celery and carrots, season with thyme and rosemary with a pat of butter on top and a little broth in the bottom. I prefer rice or mashed potatoes with it, but you can cut up potatoes and too and throw them in there as well. Cook on low the whole day and come home to a made meal
I like oven method too, a lot. Its easy. But if you don't have the time, you can always stick the chicken in the crock pot with cut up celery and carrots, season with thyme and rosemary with a pat of butter on top and a little broth in the bottom. I prefer rice or mashed potatoes with it, but you can cut up potatoes and too and throw them in there as well. Cook on low the whole day and come home to a made meal
The whole method in the crock pot (as long as you use very little liquid) is so easy and can be started in the morning before going to work or out for the day.
I like oven method too, a lot. Its easy. But if you don't have the time, you can always stick the chicken in the crock pot with cut up celery and carrots, season with thyme and rosemary with a pat of butter on top and a little broth in the bottom. I prefer rice or mashed potatoes with it, but you can cut up potatoes and too and throw them in there as well. Cook on low the whole day and come home to a made meal
Thanks. I hadn't thought about the crock pot. But I won't get that crispy skin I like.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
