Roasting a 10 lb chicken - too big for Barbara Kafka's roast chicken recipe, too small for her roast turkey recipe

HELP! I got a lovely (massive, 10 lb) chicken from a local farm. I was all set to get moving on it now but realized her method is supposed to only apply for birds up to 7 lbs. However, i love her result (so buttery and crispy). Thoughts on how to make this work for a 10 lb chicken?

Lauren Ruben
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5 Comments

MMH
MMH April 8, 2017
I don't think this should matter if you just use a remote thermometer. I have always used a polder and never give a thought to the weight of the bird whether it's turkey or chicken. I'm also a believer is sparchcocking for more even cooking.
 
PieceOfLayerCake
PieceOfLayerCake April 2, 2017
As long as you don't hack into the meat willy nilly, a single cut shouldn't dry the meat out. Think of the meat not as a single "balloon" of liquid, ready to deflate at the slightest prick, but a mass of many small "balloons". You may lose a little bit of juice, but its negligible if you're really terrible at cooking chicken properly (raises hand) and you need a surefire test of doneness.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune April 2, 2017
I often roast large chickens (altho never one as large as 10 lbs) and always use this recipe. https://food52.com/recipes/3401-perfect-roast-chicken
I just roast it longer in each step. And I use a digital probe thermometer inside the thigh to tell me when I've reached doneness. It always works.
I would NEVER cut into the bird to "see if it's done." Releasing the juices encourages a dry finish, and that's not what you want.
 
Nancy
Nancy April 2, 2017
OK, your "NEVER cut into the bird" rule is new to me.
I cut near the end of estimated cooking time, only if I'm somewhere without a thermomenter. And since it's near the end, usually there's little or no more cooking & so no drying.
I guess if you cut too early, and have to bake/roast a long time, yes the bird would dry out.
 
Nancy
Nancy April 2, 2017
A few suggestions.
1) Ramp up (by about 1 and 1/3 to 1 1/2) the ingredients from 7 lb recipe. Roasting time will be longer. Check doneness with a meat thermometer or by cutting into the chicken...if juices run clear it is done.
2) Reduce the turkey recipe, and cooking time. Check by thermometer or cutting into chicken. If there are roast vegetables attached, might as well make the same amount and use whatever may be left for another meal.
3) Use a search engine and find a recipe for a 10 lb chicken.
https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=how+to+cook+10+lb+chicken&*
 
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