![]() ![]() Vertical roasting: the best roast chicken in the world After making enough roasted chickens, all you will need to do is look at it and poke it a little with your finger to know when it’s done. I recommend pulling the chicken when the temperature reaches 150° to 155° degrees it will continue to cook as it rests. If you want to precisely test for doneness, take a temperature reading in the thick part of the thigh meat (avoid the bone) with an instant- read thermometer. If you prick the thigh near the joint and the juices run clear, the chicken is done and ready to rest for 10 or 15 minutes, tented with foil, before carving. Depending on the weight, it will take from an hour to an hour and a half to finish cooking. Rotate the bird every twenty minutes or so, taking the opportunity to baste with the fat and juices accumulating in the pan. After the first 15 minutes, turn a conventional oven down to 375°, a convection oven down to 350°. There are lots of theories about the position of the chicken: breast up, breast down, on one side, then the other. Slather it with butter or olive oil, put it on a bed of diced carrot and onion in a roasting pan that’s close to the size of the bird. If you can, let the chicken come to room temperature before cooking. Pre-heat a conventional oven to 450°, a convection oven to 425°. The bed of vegetables keeps the bird from sticking to the pan and marvelously flavors the pan juices. You are better off choosing a pan or cast iron skillet that’s just a bit larger than the bird, and then resting the chicken on a bed of carrot and onion that has been cut into small dice. There is no need for a roasting rack either. When the legs are not pinned to the body, the heat from the oven moves more efficiently to better penetrate the dark meat. However, for the best cooking result, THIS IS A MISTAKE. If you roast by moving the chicken around a lot, from side to side, or breast down and then up, or you are looking for a camera-ready bird that you plan to carve at the table, maybe there’s a rational for trussing the chicken into a compact shape. It’s hard to get past the classic picture of a stuffed chicken, trussed and ready for the oven. I add paprika to their mix for the dusky sweetness it gives the skin. The Spice House in Chicago, which also does a large mail order business, makes a blend they call “ Back of the Yard Butcher’s Rub.” It is fabulous as a seasoning for roast chicken. Some cooks prefer a sprig of rosemary and a lemon that has been repeatedly pierced with a skewer. Put some branches of thyme in the cavity. If you have planned ahead, do this the night before you roast it. Season the whole chicken inside and out with salt, pepper, and paprika. That’s when buying a whole bird can seem daunting or wasteful and it is a better idea to buy pieces, the breasts or thighs, wings or drumsticks. However, you might be in a hurry or cooking just for yourself. It is more economical to buy a whole chicken, and I also have an endless need for bones for stock, so this makes the most sense in my kitchen. You can certainly roast a fryer or cut up and fry a roaster, but using the optimal weight chicken for the cooking method makes it easier to get both the skin and the meat correctly cooked at the same time. It’s a shame because they make great stock. Fowl are older, heavier birds not often seen in American markets. Fryers should weigh 3 to 3.5 pounds, roasters 4 pounds and up. Here is a link to a website that demystifies the wording on chicken labels if you are curious about what you’ve been buying and eating.ĭifferent weights work best with different cooking methods. ![]() I’m not usually so dogmatic, but the difference in taste and texture is dramatic. If you can’t find that quality, don’t cook chicken. Short of that, buy organic, free-range chickens. My favorite one starts, “First catch a chicken…”. About the chickenĪn African cookbook in my collection is based on recipes gathered from conversations with local cooks. A vast array of side dishes work well roasted potatoes, baked pasta, creamy polenta, winter vegetable gratins, sautéed fresh spinach or spring asparagus are just a few of the possibilities. A crisp sauvignon blanc, rosé or a gingery lemon sparkler are perfect in the spring or summer. In the fall or winter a pinot noir or apple cider are great to drink with roast chicken. The fragrance of the golden brown skin crisping as you baste with buttery pan juices, the carrots and onions caramelizing on the bottom of the pan as the bird roasts, and the moist silky texture of the flesh all are irresistible. Ask any chef, “What’s your favorite meal?” and you’ll hear “roast chicken” an impressive percentage of the time. ![]()
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