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If, however, you enjoy chicken
that is juicy and bursting with flavors that are both subtle and strong,
be sure to take the bird out of the oven as soon as the juices from the
chicken are running clear (meaning there are no traces of blood in the
juices). Another trick to juicy chicken is to let it rest for at least
10 minutes before carving away at your favorite pieces. Convince
yourself to put down the knife and walk away from the chicken; giving it
those extra few moments to reabsorb the juices will make you much
happier than if you just dive in as it is pulled from the oven.
I am an equal opportunity
roast chicken eater. I find that all roast chicken is good. Whether or
not it makes you swoon with pleasure is another issue. But if you are
scared of the possible results from your roasting endeavors, just think
about how even bad roast chicken is somewhat tasty. Should you produce
something that is not so much to your liking, you can always take what
you have learned from the experience to roast an even better chicken the
next time. So don't be afraid to give a roast chicken a try. In all
likelihood, you will create something so wonderful that you will want to
take pictures of it to remember forever. You will find yourself beaming
with your handiwork and fumbling for your camera as your friends line up
to come to your house for dinner.
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basic
roast chicken
Prep time: 5
minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
1 roasting chicken (3-4
lbs.)
1 lemon
3-5 cloves of garlic
2 tbls. unsalted butter*, melted
salt
pepper
Preheat the oven
to 400F. Slice lemon into rounds about 1/4" thick. Peel and
crush garlic cloves. Take chicken out of package and remove
giblets from inside the cavity. Rinse chicken under cold water.
Place chicken in roasting pan and salt inside the cavity. Place
the lemon slices and garlic into the cavity. Brush the butter onto
the skin of the chicken, making sure to cover all the major
sections. Sprinkle generously
with salt and pepper over the entire chicken.
Place chicken in the
oven for one hour. After an hour, make sure the juices running
from the chicken are clear. If yes, remove chicken from oven and
let rest at least 10 minutes before serving. If there is still
some blood in the juices, put it back in the oven for another 10
minutes until the juices are clear.
Alternative: Try
slicing the garlic and placing it just under the skin at various
parts of the chicken for roasty, garlicky goodness.
*You
can use salted butter too but you have to adjust the amount of
salt that you sprinkle onto the chicken to avoid sodium overload. |
