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blog (formerly known as miscellaneum)
How to roast a killer chicken
February 15, 2011 @ 8:24am
Okay, okay; I realize this is a bit off-topic...that doesn't however mean it isn't of importance!
I should really start off by saying that I LOVE to eat; cooking has long been a bi-product of this culinary crush of mine, and I've pretty well been into it for as long as I can remember.
With that said, I'm about to describe how to prepare and cook a chicken in a way that is a sure thing, every time.
The Brine:
This is the most important step in guaranteeing a moist, tender and juicy bird every single time. Do not skip it. It's worth the effort...trust me!
Combine 1 cup sugar with 1 cup salt in a container big enough to hold your bird and cover with water.
Let this chill overnight...I usually put the bird breast side down to ensure it's submerged completely.
The Next Day: Prepare that bad boy for cooking:
Take the bird out of the brine, and rinse completely with water. Put it on a rack in a roasting pan and pat it dry. Drying it is off helps crisp the skin, so don't skip this either.
The Stuffing:
This ain't the kind of stuffing your grandma makes...it's merely some roughly chopped aromatics aimed at flavouring and moistening the bird from the inside out.
Roughly chop an onion or 2 (you can leave the skin on, it doesn't really matter), a bulb of garlic (again, skin can stay on) and mix in a bowl with lots of salt, fresh ground pepper and a bit of olive oil. Once it's all combined, stuff that bird!
Once it's stuffed, you can tie the back legs together to keep it contained. From there, sprinkle the outside of the bird with a generous amount of salt.
The Cooking:
I'm not going to tell you exactly how long to cook it for, as this varies depending on your oven, the bird, and so on and so forth. Typically, mine spend anywhere from an hour and a half to just over two hours.
I start it off at 375°.
Once it's in, take a big splodge of butter in a ramakin (or some other container that can take heat) and add either garlic powder, or some real garlic, and let it melt on top of the oven.
After about 1/2 an hour, generously brush the melted garlic butter over the bird, and at this point you can reduce the heat to 350°.
Once that's done, close the oven and leave it alone.
When you feel the bird is about done (using a thermometer, or whatever means you use), pull it out, and tent tinfoil over the top of it, and leave it alone for at least 15 minutes.
Then, carve that bad boy up, and be prepared to impress.
Sidebar:
When carving the bird, I usually cut the entire breast off and then carve it off of the bird. It's easier.