Probably one of my favorite dishes to make is a simple roasted chicken. It is the ultimate comfort food. But there are a few things that you need to do in order to insure that you have chicken that is flavorful and moist. Roasting a chicken provides such wonderful smells for the house - it is warm and inviting.
There are many ways to roast a chicken - most involve using the whole chicken and stuffing the cavity with ingredients while trussing the bird. I find this method to be easier, and faster, and give better results. This involves butchering the chicken, so you have the chicken flat in the pan while cooking.
Ingredients:
1 3-4 pound whole chicken
Kosher Salt
Fresh Thyme
Pepper
Grape Seed Oil
- Rinse the chicken off and then pat the chicken dry.
- Rain Kosher salt down on the chicken
- At this point you can leave the chicken in your refrigerator, uncovered for up to three days
- You can see the steps to butcher the chicken.
- Pre-heat the oven to 475 degrees
- Season the chicken with grape seed oil, salt, and pepper
- Use fresh thyme to put between the skin and the meat
- Bake in an oven proof pan for 30 minutes (internal temp 145 degrees)
- Take it out, and let it rest on the counter top for at least 20 minutes
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Pat the chicken dry after a cold rinse. Make sure to rinse the cavity out well |
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Rain the salt down from about a foot above the chicken- you want a nice coat |
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Separate the skin from both the breast then turn the chicken over and separate the skin from the thighs |
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Be sure to salt the cavity of the chicken |
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Some call this the Pope's nose - a fleshy part at the tail of the chicken. This marks where you will cut |
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You can use kitchen scissors, but I like poultry scissors to cut along one side of the spine |
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One side of the spine has been cut |
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To the other side of the Pope's nose, cut the chicken along the spine. You can use the spine for making chicken stock or you can toss it |
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Turn the chicken over- and flatten the chicken on the board |
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Using your weight, press down on the chicken til you hear it separate |
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Using a chef's knife, cut along the breast bone separating the chicken in half |
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Gently slide the knife along the breast bone to separate it |
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Place the chicken in an oven-proof pan |
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Add grape seed oil to cover the bottom of the pan |
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This provides the moisture for the chicken |
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Add pepper |
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Place in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes at 475 degrees |
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Beautiful crisp skin, and moist chicken |
