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42 Comments
kelly
February 27, 2015
500 degrees for 10 min/lb seems a bit much for me. the one tried-and-true rule of poultry i learned was 350 @ 20 min/lb. i've made countless roast chicken dinners that way and have never had one underdone, dried-out, or charred. i think adding seasoning inside the cavity and a little e.v.o.o. on the outside keeps the meat moist. for 'stuffing' i use 1 onion (cut into wedges), 1 small lemon (cut into wedges), a few celery sticks, s & p, and sprigs of rosemary, sage and thyme. good enough for company!
MARINNA
February 11, 2015
made my first whole chicken thanks to this recipe...THANKS SO MUCH for sharing it came out great!!
garlic A.
February 6, 2015
Who doesn't like a good roast chicken! I have my butcher take out the back bone and flatten the bird so it cooks faster.
lora789
February 5, 2015
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shelly B.
February 2, 2015
Just a quick note on the Rotisserie chickens that someone mentioned -particularly about their paltry size. Quite right about that; they are usually tiny and therefore relatively expensive for a small bird. The one exception to this is the Rotisserie chicken sold at Costco. They are large, plump chickens and always delicious...and at $4.99, you can't beat the price. Heck you can't even buy the fresh bird for that price! I often buy more than one, and have even frozen them for later use...perfect for my kids to pull out of the freezer for a quick meal, rather than stopping somewhere for fast food. I also use the extra rotisserie chicken as part of other recipes that call for cooked chicken (particularly if I am short on time); their flavor is terrific and they are always juicy. In fact, for the Superbowl, my family had several "menu" requests, and I purchased 3 rotisserie chickens at Costco on Saturday afternoon. One was happily consumed for dinner that night, and the other 2 became part of Nachos, Buffalo chicken dip (that I put inside a dough ring) and a delicious chicken pot pies that we munched on throughout the Superbowl. If you haven't tried the Costco version of rotisserie chicken, it's certainly well worth giving it a try!
lisbeth
January 27, 2015
kristie...where get and brand enamalized skillet....vs iron? sounds similar to jonathan waxman style bird cooking:)
kristie
January 27, 2015
I have never roasted at 500 for the entire period, but instead heat my oven up to 500 (good and pre-heated for a bit) and then toss in my enamalized skillet for about 20 minutes and then place my room-temperature bird (4lbs) in and cook for 25 min. After this initial shock of heat, I turn the oven off-yes, off, and allow the residual heat to cook until 165 degrees (about 35 min more). Comes out perfect every time. Every time. And, so easy!
lisbeth
January 26, 2015
kind of shocked as I have never seen recipe kept it that high for whole time and I actually got a chicken last nite due to storm ..make tonite or tomorrow...but its only 4lbs..........won't it dry out especially breast..no tenting or anything? and no fat on it, justkind of amazing to me:)
Carol H.
January 26, 2015
I am confused about this recipe. Roasting at 500 degrees is going to burn the top of the chicken; I know because I have burned them at 425. Secondly, I would never consider roasting a chicken without stuffing; that is the best part of a chicken dinner. Thirdly, if you brine the chicken it comes out salty and it is impossible to make gravy from the juices because of the salt.
Alfonso D.
January 26, 2015
I agree with you, 500 degrees is too high.
I preheat the oven to 450 degrees and lower the temperature to 350 degrees as soon as I put the chicken in the oven. Roast at a rate of 20 minutes per pound.
I don't throw the extra fat away, I flatten it and place it on top of the breast.
I preheat the oven to 450 degrees and lower the temperature to 350 degrees as soon as I put the chicken in the oven. Roast at a rate of 20 minutes per pound.
I don't throw the extra fat away, I flatten it and place it on top of the breast.
Carol H.
January 26, 2015
I do that too; start it at 450 for half an hour or so to brown the top and then cover with foil and reduce to 350. Toward the end I turn the chicken over so the bottom can get brown too.
Kenzi W.
January 26, 2015
500 has worked for me every time! That said, all of our ovens probably have slight variances in temperature.
Carol H.
January 26, 2015
That is true. I almost always have to tweak the cooking on cookie recipes or they burn on the bottom; I move them up a level and cook for less time than it calls for.
Alfonso D.
January 26, 2015
And if you place the chicken on a 'bed' of bay leaves the resulting gravy is delicious ...
Carol H.
January 26, 2015
Does that mean you don't put it on a rack inside the roasting pan? I always put mine on a rack so it doesn't get gummy on the bottom and soaked with grease.
Alfonso D.
January 26, 2015
I do both:
1. Put the bay leaves under the chicken in the rack; or,
2. Place the chicken on top of bay leaves in the roasting pan.
Option 1. is best.
1. Put the bay leaves under the chicken in the rack; or,
2. Place the chicken on top of bay leaves in the roasting pan.
Option 1. is best.
ojailyn
January 25, 2015
chickenfog...I thought that was my secret.....ALWAYS cook breasts down for moist white meat!
Meredith D.
January 25, 2015
Can you purchase that roasting pan through Provisions? Really like it!
Wanda
January 28, 2015
https://food52.com/provisions/products/1030-vintage-copper-gratin-dish-late-19th-century
Donald S.
January 25, 2015
Let get this right, "How to roast a chicken without a recipe." Under the photo, "Get the recipe." So, do I need a recipe or not? Pretty funny.
radovanovic.rade
January 25, 2015
Thomas Keller, who is already mentioned in these comments, made a great contribution to the world popular food culture with bringing the chicken roast recipe to the perfection and ultimate simplicity. His recipe is good enough for a great meal but also a perfect base for any variation. It is on YouTube and all over the web. This recipe is pretty much alike it. After trying Keller's for many times I would always recommend trussing. The wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying out and helps the chicken to be cook evenly.
Chickenfog
January 25, 2015
I do this often but I cook it breast down. Two bennies from that. One, the breast is moister. Two, the back, my favorite part, gets extra crispy.
AntoniaJames
January 20, 2015
Here's a useful tip that doesn't get enough play. (I've mentioned it several times on Food52, so please forgive me if you've read this before.)
Remove the wishbone before you put the bird in the oven. It makes carving the breast so much easier, and so much neater. I learned this trick from my son, who picked it up from Thomas Keller, who contributed his roast chicken recipe to Alice Waters's "In the Green Kitchen," a marvelous resource, especially for young or early-stage cooks. ;o)
Remove the wishbone before you put the bird in the oven. It makes carving the breast so much easier, and so much neater. I learned this trick from my son, who picked it up from Thomas Keller, who contributed his roast chicken recipe to Alice Waters's "In the Green Kitchen," a marvelous resource, especially for young or early-stage cooks. ;o)
AntoniaJames
January 20, 2015
Incidentally, a good butcher will remove the wishbone as a matter of course when spatchcocking the bird, I've found. ;o)
Rebecca @.
January 20, 2015
You're right, you don't need a recipe to do an awesome roasted chicken. Rotisserie chickens are really popular are my local grocery stores, but they're usually a paltry size and often overpriced. Roasting at home is a great way to go and it's not as complicated as it seems. It's one of those things that once you start doing it, it seems like less of a pain and more calm pleasure..
Christina T.
January 25, 2015
So agree Rebecca, it's not as difficult as it seems. I made my first roast chicken when I cooked dinner for my parents at age 15. Must admit I was surprised when it came out well, the first thing I had cooked on my own without Mom's help. I have tweaked it a little through the years, I'm 61 now, but to me there is nothing better, especially on a fall or winter night, than a good roast chicken. I put a couple of tablespoons of butter under the skin on each side of the breast, lots of salt, pepper, sage - inside and out, I also pack the cavity with some parsley, thyme, and garlic cloves or shallots. Make chicken gravy with the drippings, your own favorite dressing recipe, a veg or two, and you're good to go.
Jeremy B.
January 19, 2015
Another option if you are short on time is to spatchcock the bird. Lowers the cooking time a fair bit. (Yes, I know that is a scientific quantity of time)
Robert
January 19, 2015
Spatchcocked is an excellent way to grill a whole a chicken, too. Just watch for flare ups (my famous "inferno chicken" episode taught me that very valuable lesson).
AntoniaJames
January 20, 2015
Spatchcocking also produces a more evenly cooked bird, due to the positioning of the various parts relative to the heat. Even when I have plenty of time, I prefer to spatchcock for this very reason. This principe applies with equal force to roasting a turkey, e.g., https://food52.com/recipes/19394-spatchcocked-roast-turkey ;o)
AntoniaJames
January 20, 2015
Your "famous 'inferno chicken' episode," Robert - hilarious, but perfectly descriptive! ;o)
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