Roast Chicken

[Johnny Vinyl]

I probably eat chicken in some form twice or sometimes 3 times per week. I've also included much more fish in my diet and have foregone red meat as much as possible. Roast chicken in the oven is a favourite as we always have some leftovers, which can be used to create other dishes and the carcass saved for stock.

Through the years I've tried all sorts of ways to make chicken, including on a bed of veggies, on the rotisserie, even in a slow cooker once (awful). I've experimented with various spices, using olive oil, basting it and the story goes on. None of these efforts ever resulted in a consistent outcome (at least not one I was happy with), so I decided to keep things simple and only use 3 ingredients.....butter, salt and pepper. Every time I've done so the chicken was exactly the same as previous attempts.

This is what I do for a standard size chicken:

(clean chicken under cold running water first and pat completely dry inside and out)

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Rub the entire body of the chicken with a liberal amount of butter.
3. Generously sprinkle both salt & pepper.
4. Place chicken on a rack within a roasting pan and add a few cups of water.
5. Place into oven on centre shelf(rack) and reduce heat to 400°F.
6. Set timer for 1 hour.

Leave it and forget about it. DO NOT BASTE. If you baste it the skin will not get crispy.

The skin will be crisp and the meat will be moist, yet fully cooked through.

 

[Ronm1]

Looks good but with turkey day coming up I tend to avoid poultry that week.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Thanks for sharing. One thing I do, is cut a slit near the top of each breast, and insert butter patties into the bird, under the skin, to get some of that butter into the bird.

In the past I always inserted butter under the skin wherever I could, but I've found this method doesn't require it. So I just make sure the butter is liberally applied all over and it does the trick.

 

[Sharp 1080]

I use a similar method, with the butter on the outside and also rub the cavity inside with salt and pepper. Then place some of the butter inside the bird along with lemon sliced in half, lime the same, and onion, fresh garlic, and rosemary. The chicken will be very moist and almost fall off of the bone.

 

[Gregadd]

Looks great all alone. I usually add some Rosemary and some of those baby red potatoess.

 

[GaryProtein]

Johnny, I like chicken too (only organic or kosher) and eat it in one form or another about 5 meals a week. It's tasty low fat protein. Your simple recipe is my favorite, although I use a bit of avocado oil instead of butter to coat the skin because it goes on smoothly and easily. I also go along with gregadd and add rosemary on the side. I lightly coat the rosemary with avocado oil (almost tasteless and doesn't smoke up to 500 degF compared to olive oil whose flavor I don't like at all) and let it roast along with the chicken. When it is done, the rosemary stalks and needles are crisp and crunchy.

I'll take chicken over turkey any day--even Thanksgiving. I'm not a fan of turkey. It only tastes good right out of the oven when it is cooked. The second day something happens to it and it tastes and smells gamey. Our guests this year are going to have to enjoy rack of lamb because we're NOT making a turkey!

 

[amirm]

I'll take chicken over turkey any day--even Thanksgiving. I'm not a fan of turkey. It only tastes good right out of the oven when it is cooked. The second day something happens to it and it tastes and smells gamey.

That is true except I cooked one in my ceramic barbecue smoker with some Alder. It almost completely stopped the turkey from having that gamey smell and taste the next day! The smoke either covers or prevents that from happening.

 

[GaryProtein]

I love smoked foods, but Gail won't let me get a smoker because she says I'll get cancer!

I have tried doing favors of various sorts, but she won't relent.

 

[amirm]

I love smoked foods, but Gail won't let me get a smoker because she says I'll get cancer!

Hmmm. Everything I have read says that the lower temperature that meat is smoked at significantly reduces the cancer causing agents created by meat burning at high temp.

Print this for your wife to read and it should enable you to have a smoker as a holiday gift this year: http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/grilling_and_cancer.html

 

[GaryProtein]

Thank you for the link. I'll have to work on her.

I know the lower temperature is beneficial, but the smoke itself is said to be a problem.

 

[Ronm1]

I'll take chicken over turkey any day--even Thanksgiving. I'm not a fan of turkey. It only tastes good right out of the oven when it is cooked. The second day something happens to it and it tastes and smells gamey.

That is true except I cooked one in my ceramic barbecue smoker with some Alder. It almost completely stopped the turkey from having that gamey smell and taste the next day! The smoke either covers or prevents that from happening.

I must admit I find this quite bizarre. I'm sure the smoking process is masking what you are sensitive too.

 

[Gregadd]

I use olive oil inststed of butter.

 

[Blizzard]

I smoked this grain fed organic chicken from the local farmer for 4 hours in my smoker with hickory. Mmmmm unreal!!

View attachment 23552View attachment 23553View attachment 23554

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

^^^^ That's awesome looking bird my friend!

 

[amirm]

That's insanely good Blizzard!

 

[Blizzard]

Yes it was. Probably the best chicken I ever ate

 

[zztop7]

Brine

I smoked this grain fed organic chicken from the local farmer for 4 hours in my smoker with hickory. Mmmmm unreal!!

You are extremely fortunate to have your local farmer. Almost all chicken sold in stores [including organic] is extensively brined [salted] to minimize harmful organisms. The downside = Extreme Salt.
Best to you,
zz.

 

[amirm]

We have a fantastic local breeder of Lamb. Best lamb we have ever tasted (we buy a whole one once a year). But when we tried one of many locally bred chickens, it was chewing and lousy tasting. Love to find one like our Lamb supplier.

 

[GaryProtein]

I smoked this grain fed organic chicken from the local farmer for 4 hours in my smoker with hickory. Mmmmm unreal!!

View attachment 23552View attachment 23553View attachment 23554

That looks like a humongous chicken.

Are you sure it wasn't on STEROIDS ?!?!?!?!

 

[Tango]

The best chicken sandwich I ever had was from a small stand in Quincy Market, Boston. Can't recall the name. But really missing it thinking about it.

Tang