pretty by the bay

I made a great roast chicken last night. It was tender and juicy and delicious, but I didn’t blog about it because a) I was tired, and b) I thought, this is pretty basic – everyone knows how to roast a chicken, right?

Wrong. Oh, so wrong.

On several different occasions today, I mentioned my roast chicken and found that several friends and acquaintances are pretty intimidated/disgusted/scared at the thought of rinsing, stuffing, handling and cooking a whole bird. You’re scared of the giblets. You’re scared of the cavity. The bones gross you out. You hate dark meat and feel it would go to waste (which is a valid point, Andrea, but you can bring that dark meat to me and I’ll take it off your hands). And on most of those points, I agree with you.  Handling a whole chicken is unappealing because it makes you keenly aware that you’re eating an animal. It’s easier to dismiss that fact when your meat comes neatly packaged in plastic wrap, free of bones and offal and ready for simple consumption. Seeing, prepping and carving a whole bird can be a bit jarring, but the flavor payoff is incomparable. Boneless/skinless breasts and thighs cannot compete with meat that’s been roasted on the bone. You don’t have to eat the skin, and you can slice it off the bone if you wish – but trust me. The flavor will be so much better than anything you’ve ever had. Another bonus? Whole chickens are often substantially cheaper than meat that’s been cleaned and prepped by the butcher.

So despite the fact that I didn’t document last night’s bird (and the above photograph is from a previous post), I feel it’s necessary to extol my love for roast chicken and challenge you to try roasting one of your own. It’s tasty, it’s easy, and you’ll have lovely leftovers to enjoy in soup, sandwiches or salads.

Simple Roast Chicken

4 to 5 pound chicken*, giblets removed

1 to 2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lemon, halved

1 medium onion, quartered

3 cloves garlic, lightly smashed, skins removed

Preheat oven to 425. Rinse the chicken inside and out with cool water and pat dry with paper towels. Place breast side up in a roasting pan or large casserole dish. Season the cavity liberally with salt and pepper, then stuff with the lemon, onion and garlic cloves. Rub the outside of the chicken with 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then season liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for about 1.5 hours or until the juices run clear when a knife is inserted between the leg and thigh. (* Adjust cooking time if using a smaller chicken; for birds less than 4 pounds, you may wish to check after an hour of cooking. Return to the oven as needed for the juices to run clear.) Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

I find the easiest way to carve a whole chicken is to cut off the legs with the thighs attached (if your knife is sharp it will cut through the bone). Next, cut off the wings. Finally, to remove the breast meat, slice down the center of the two breasts and carve around to remove each one whole. The breasts can then be sliced into smaller portions for serving.

Variations:

Roast the bird on top of thick slices of onion and carrot. This will not only flavor the meat, but also give you a delicious side dish to serve alongside.

Experiment with seasonings beyond salt and pepper (but don’t leave those out!). Try smoked paprika, turmeric, or poultry grilling blends.

Stuff the cavity with fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, etc) and/or rub herbed butter directly between the meat and the skin.