How to Roast
a Whole Chicken
from How
to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty
Things Your Grandmother Knew by Erin Bried
Step 1: Go to your
local butcher, farm, or grocer and buy the whole
bird. You'll need about pound per person. Dig out your
roasting
pan, and crank up your oven to 375 degrees. Then, shush! Give
a listen. Is your belly growling? If so, have a little snack. It takes
a good hour to roast a 3- to 3-pound bird.
Step 2: Get
acquainted with your chicken. If you're temporarily grossed
out, there's no kind way to say this: Get over yourself. You're about
to eat this bird (and it's going to be delicious), so you might as well
take responsibility for cooking it. Then, peek inside your chicken. If
you see a bag of parts, pull it out. (It's the giblets, or heart, neck,
and liver of a chicken, not necessarily your chicken. You can simmer
them in water to make a broth or gravy, or you can just toss them.)
Step 3: Give your bird a bath
for good measure. Rinse it, inside and
out, under cold water, and then pat it dry with a paper towel.
Step 4: Prepare your seasonings. Mix softened butter
(about
to stick) with generous amounts of your favorite herbs and
spices. Try chopped garlic (4 to 6 cloves), diced rosemary (about 5
full twigs' worth), and salt and pepper (teaspoon or more).
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Or,
chopped garlic, lemon zest, thyme, and tarragon. How much of each?
Enough. Basically, just throw it all together. It's hard to cluck it
up.
Step 5: Using your
fingers (or, if you're still grossed out,
an upside-down spoon), separate the skin from the meat, being careful
not to rip or puncture it, or your bird will lose its juices. Once
you've got some wiggle room in there, smush your butter mixture between
the skin and meat, making sure to get it into every nook and cranny.
Then, rub butter all over the outside of the bird, too, so it'll brown
nicely in the oven.
Step 6: Season the
inside of your chicken. Sprinkle in a good amount of
salt and pepper, and then toss in a couple of whole garlic cloves,
whatever leftover herbs you might have from your butter mixture (stems
included), and a quartered lemon.
Step 7: Place your
bird, breast and legs up, in your roasting pan. Tuck
the tip of the wings underneath the body and, if you'd like, tie the
legs together with kitchen string. It's not necessary, but it adds a
dose of fancy.
Step 8: Pop your
chicken in the oven, set your timer for an hour, go
have a glass of wine or a gimlet, and wait.
Step 9: When the
timer goes off, check on your chicken. Tilt it until
some juices run out. If they're pinkish, it's not done yet. If they're
clear, stick a kitchen thermometer into the fattest part of the thigh.
Only when it reads 165 degrees is it done.
Step 10: Set your
chicken on a platter on the countertop and let it
rest for 10 minutes, so it gets good and juicy. (If you'd like to make
gravy, now's the time. See page 8 for instructions.)
Step 11: Present
your chicken to your dinner guests, preferably using
grand gestures. Enjoy their oos and aahs, and then enjoy the chicken.
Source: How
to Sew a Button: And Other Nifty
Things Your Grandmother Knew by Erin Bried. Ballantine Books, 2009.
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