Thursday, November 17, 2011

Yumms Roasted Chicken



Brrr.  Chilly day today.  I'm not quite ready to pull out the scarves and mittens....BUT I am ready for a delicious roast chicken din-din!!!  Yay!  One of the many great things about roasting in your oven is a quick prep time and throw that meat or bird in!  Which allows you to do whatever else is on your list!  Here is my easy-peasy (saw Jamie Oliver speak last night LOL) Roast Chicken...

  

HealthyBies TIP (idea)
As a preference I eat less meat and spend more money on organic and free-range chickens and meat in general...quality vs. quantity in my opinion WINS every time :) Get to know your local butcher xo

What you will need to play today...


Roasting pan (will hold a 2-4 lbs bird)
2-4 lbs chicken (organic and/or free-range and hormone free)
3 tbsps of EVOO or 4 knobs of butter
4 sprigs of tarragon, rosemary, thyme, etc- anything you prefer!
1 lemon, sliced
4-6 cloves of garlic
sea salt and fresh pepper
cooking string (optional)

Preheat your oven to 450.  If your chicken has the bits still in it (liver, gizzards, etc) remove and either chop up and throw into a stuffing...mmmm. OR toss.  Rinse and pat dry chicken.  Gently lift skin enough to slide in some herbs, knobs of butter, lemon slices and garlic cloves.  I like to stuff the cavity with herbs and an onion...or some delicious stuffing! If you choose you can tie (cooking string) the legs and the wings in...I don't aways.  Now the fun part, pat skin down...smudge butter all over that bird!!!  Generously season inside and outside the chicken with s/p and arrange some extra lemon slices and herbs, I also through some in the pan.  To start I'll roast my 2/3 lbs chicken at 450 to give it a nice crisp and colour to start for 10-15 mins.


*remember to baste every 20 mins with the lovely juices that have accumulated* 

Reduce oven to 375 and cook chicken for 45-60 or until internal temp is 170-175f !  Invest in a thermometer, you'll use it constantly!  Once the wings and legs move easily or start tearing from the body, your baby should be ready.  I like to move my chicken to a cutting board, cover with foil and let it rest for at least 10-15 mins to allow the juices to redistribute throughout.  At this time you can add some stock, a splash of white wine/beer...slowly reducing....add in some herbs and check seasoning to make a yummy gravy.  Remove legs, wings and carve away!!

I like to serve my chicken with (will post these soon);

horseradish baked-mashed potatoes
roasted root vegetables
steamed spinach or beans
baked tomatoes

The possibilities are endless....bon appetite xo



1 comment:

  1. Damn! That is really making me wish I was having chicken for dinner!

    ReplyDelete