yep, this is Thanksgiving week and i am posting about chicken. forgive me. it's just so good.
guys, roasted chicken is like a batch of scrambled eggs. … let me explain.
both such simple meals, you can count the ingredients on one hand, yet you put your feet under anyone's table and they will always taste a bit different. they have their method, you have yours. so. i'm not here to tell you how to roast your chicken (or scramble your eggs, for that matter) but i am going to share my little story.
when i married grant i didn't even know how to buy chicken, let alone cook it. i learned pretty quickly, (350 degrees for 45 minutes yields a great, moist chicken breast) but i clung to my boneless and skinless comfort zone. until one day.. ok, it was only a few weeks ago.. i decided i was going to be brave and roast a whole chicken, and a new world opened up. hello, bones and skin! you are my friends! cooking chicken breasts has lost its luster on me. i admit, that first time i was nervous having a whole bird in my hands, but it was a cinch. seriously, so easy. and suuuuper delicious! it has become my favorite dinner. i want it for my birthday.
to encourage you to try going whole with me, and just in case you don't already have your own signature method (i didn't), i'll share what i am doing. but i guarantee it will turn out different in your kitchen, and you will love it that way. and so will i!
whole roasted chicken with carrots
one 5 lb. ish chicken
4 to 6 carrots, peeled and chopped into sticks
sea salt
minced garlic
olive oil
parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme
rinse chicken, inside and out. use a cast iron pan or glass baking dish or roasting pan- pick your favorite. set chicken in the pan (breast-side-up if your priority is crispy skin, breast-side-down if your priority is extra moist meat) pat chicken dry on top and bottom. sprinkle the cavity with salt and stuff with minced garlic. rub the outside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and herbs. my photo at the top shows a pretty sparse sprinkling, i tend to smother it with herbs these days. arrange carrot sticks all around the chicken, give them a drizzle of olive oil and don't be shy with the garlic. roast in a 375 degree oven for 1 ½ hours. remove from oven, let rest 10 minutes for juices to settle into place. carve and serve.
*leftovers!-- when you're stuffed, you get to pick all the extra meat off of your bird and save for meals later in the week. we make ours last and last. it's so nice.
**make broth!-- once the meat is picked off, put the bones and parts into a pot and cover with water. bring to a low simmer, skimming off any foamy scum that rises to the surface. let it simmer overnight, or up to 24 hours. strain, and enjoy!
it's dark-during-dinner season, so we'll have to have a lamplight photo now and then. we'll make it work.
5 comments:
Summer, this looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing. And I think your lamp light chicken looks cozy.
Every Sunday, my roommates and I have friends over for "Sunday Supper." We roasted chickens tonight! It was my first time and I was nervous at first but it really was so easy!
I've roasted a chicken a couple of different times -- seriously, can't be beat! Makes great meat for sandwiches and for putting in chicken noodle soup. So easy to do. So tasty. And a pretty economical way to make dinner!
-jayme
My mouth is actually watering, just looking at your crispy roasted chicken! Yum!
I also always used to buy chicken breasts & was a bit daunted by all of the bones in thighs, let alone a whole chicken, then I was converted when my food magazine suggested 4 delicious meals to make out of 1 chicken (which is way cheaper than 3 breasts in the UK), I was sold, and haven't looked back!
Thought of this today. I wish it was cooler outside, so we could make it! Fall will be here soon enough. We made it once 3 years ago and it was delicious!