Some days you just feel like a warm, cozy meal. This week I wanted to share my recipe for my roasted chicken. I try to include a lot of make ahead meals and when I roast a chicken I find that it can be used for so many different meals than just simply a 'roasted chicken' meal. You can roast your chicken on your cook day. Mine is usually Sundays. I try and do any make ahead prep that I can so that way throughout the week I am able to quickly put together meals when I get home from work and actually spend quality time with my family rather than spending all evening cooking and cleaning up.
Find yourself a nice size whole chicken at the store. Get yourself a nice roasting pan, (pull out the one you use at Thanksgiving or the holidays) or simply use a large glass Pyrex baking dish. Take your bird and lay it out so it comes to room temp on your kitchen counter. While your bird is relaxing and coming to terms with it's doom, gather your flavors. Depending on what exactly I'll be using the bird for will determine what flavors I use to roast with. If I'm doing a standard roasted chicken I use traditional seasonings. I take two lemons and cut in quarters. Fresh thyme and rosemary are great additions. Garlic. I cannot say it enough ... garlic. I will take about three to four cloves and mince it and place in a mixing bowl. To that bowl I add room temp butter. I mix the butter and garlic until it is well combined. Set aside. Take the lemon quarters, fresh rosemary, thyme, another 3 - 4 cloves of garlic and one quartered white onion and place inside the cavity of the bird. Reserve some sprigs of fresh herbs and some thinly sliced lemon. Gently pull the skin away from the bird and insert some fresh herbs and thinly sliced lemons. On the entire outside of the bird, slather with your garlic butter mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Now you need to reassure your bird and give it some companions because he's going to be cooking for some time and we don't want him to be lonely. Around the chicken place some roughly chopped potatoes, quartered onions, carrots and/or celery. Add chicken stock and let the veggies bathe in the broth. To keep your bird from browning too quickly, tent your bird with aluminum foil. Place the bird in the oven at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. About every 20 minutes I will usually baste the bird to keep it nice and juicy during cooking. At the 45 minute mark remove your foil. Take the temp of your bird. The best and most accurate way to do this is to insert your meat thermometer close to the bone and in the thickest part of the bird. Your breast temperature should be 160 degrees. Allow your bird to cook without the foil for another 20 minutes, or longer if you have a larger bird. Just remember to keep basting and taking the temperature.
Now, if you are simply cooking to serve as a roasted chicken meal, you are done at this point. Allow the bird to rest for about 10 minutes before carving to allow the juices to soak back up into the bird. While that is happening, spoon your veggies out onto a serving plate and place the bird on the cutting board to await it's carving. Make your gravy right there on the stove top with those yummy juices from roasting. Add flour, salt, pepper and if needed a little more stock. Whisk until the gravy forms.
If you are roasting to have chicken for a make ahead meal, allow the bird to rest for the 10 minutes. Pull the meat away from the bone and in a large bowl take two forks and begin shredding your chicken. Place in a container and allow to cool completely before placing it in the fridge. Later in the week pull out your shredded chicken. Use this in burritos or enchiladas, in a soup, in a casserole ... the possibilities are endless. If I am roasting a bird for a Mexican flavored meal, I will use slightly different seasonings. I will use limes instead of lemons, garlic, quartered white onions and cilantro on the inside of the bird. On the outside of the bird I will use thinly sliced limes in the skin lining and in the butter and garlic mixture I will add cumin and some red pepper to slather the bird.
Experiment with flavors. Think about what you'll be using the chicken for and then play around with different options. Have fun with your chicken -- you'll be surprised at how many different meals you can create from one roasted bird!!
Cheers!
Find yourself a nice size whole chicken at the store. Get yourself a nice roasting pan, (pull out the one you use at Thanksgiving or the holidays) or simply use a large glass Pyrex baking dish. Take your bird and lay it out so it comes to room temp on your kitchen counter. While your bird is relaxing and coming to terms with it's doom, gather your flavors. Depending on what exactly I'll be using the bird for will determine what flavors I use to roast with. If I'm doing a standard roasted chicken I use traditional seasonings. I take two lemons and cut in quarters. Fresh thyme and rosemary are great additions. Garlic. I cannot say it enough ... garlic. I will take about three to four cloves and mince it and place in a mixing bowl. To that bowl I add room temp butter. I mix the butter and garlic until it is well combined. Set aside. Take the lemon quarters, fresh rosemary, thyme, another 3 - 4 cloves of garlic and one quartered white onion and place inside the cavity of the bird. Reserve some sprigs of fresh herbs and some thinly sliced lemon. Gently pull the skin away from the bird and insert some fresh herbs and thinly sliced lemons. On the entire outside of the bird, slather with your garlic butter mixture. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Now you need to reassure your bird and give it some companions because he's going to be cooking for some time and we don't want him to be lonely. Around the chicken place some roughly chopped potatoes, quartered onions, carrots and/or celery. Add chicken stock and let the veggies bathe in the broth. To keep your bird from browning too quickly, tent your bird with aluminum foil. Place the bird in the oven at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. About every 20 minutes I will usually baste the bird to keep it nice and juicy during cooking. At the 45 minute mark remove your foil. Take the temp of your bird. The best and most accurate way to do this is to insert your meat thermometer close to the bone and in the thickest part of the bird. Your breast temperature should be 160 degrees. Allow your bird to cook without the foil for another 20 minutes, or longer if you have a larger bird. Just remember to keep basting and taking the temperature.
Now, if you are simply cooking to serve as a roasted chicken meal, you are done at this point. Allow the bird to rest for about 10 minutes before carving to allow the juices to soak back up into the bird. While that is happening, spoon your veggies out onto a serving plate and place the bird on the cutting board to await it's carving. Make your gravy right there on the stove top with those yummy juices from roasting. Add flour, salt, pepper and if needed a little more stock. Whisk until the gravy forms.
If you are roasting to have chicken for a make ahead meal, allow the bird to rest for the 10 minutes. Pull the meat away from the bone and in a large bowl take two forks and begin shredding your chicken. Place in a container and allow to cool completely before placing it in the fridge. Later in the week pull out your shredded chicken. Use this in burritos or enchiladas, in a soup, in a casserole ... the possibilities are endless. If I am roasting a bird for a Mexican flavored meal, I will use slightly different seasonings. I will use limes instead of lemons, garlic, quartered white onions and cilantro on the inside of the bird. On the outside of the bird I will use thinly sliced limes in the skin lining and in the butter and garlic mixture I will add cumin and some red pepper to slather the bird.
Experiment with flavors. Think about what you'll be using the chicken for and then play around with different options. Have fun with your chicken -- you'll be surprised at how many different meals you can create from one roasted bird!!
Cheers!
Comments
Post a Comment
What did you think of this recipe?