Chalk it up to my love of cooking homemade or maybe it reminds me of growing up and watching my mom and grandmother do so. Either way, I think we live in a society that relies too much on instant or mostly processed meals. This by no means is quick but it's much tastier, better for you (less chemicals) and might I add, gives you three meals in one! No brainer.
When I mentioned that all true Southern women should know how to roast a chicken to my friend Anna M she just looked at me like I was crazy. Literally like I had grown a third eye right in front of her. Then she says "why can't I just buy a rotisserie from the grocery store?" Here's why: rotisserie chickens, while very tasty, are not as good in soup and most of the time are smaller with less meat than a chicken in the grocery store for the same price. An average roasting chicken is only $5-7 at the grocery store while a rotisserie is usually $7-8. In this little demonstration, I'll share with you how you can make a delicious (and might I say impressive) meal AND turn it in to multiple meals.
So yesterday we set out for Anna M's lesson. After I attacked her southern-ness, she was
Let the lesson begin!
First, let's start with our ingredients. You'll need the following:
- stick of butter
- one whole chicken (any size will do)
- one lemon
- one onion
- fresh herbs
- salt and pepper
Let's talk about the herbs for a moment. This time I used thyme and sage because it's one of my favorite combinations. But another option is rosemary. I used this often in our old house because I had a big rosemary bush out back I could just clip. You can also skip the herbs and use celery. I prefer fresh herbs because I think they make the meat much more flavorful. Plus, the scent that permeates through the house as it's cooking...ahhh divine.
OK, back to the show...err chicken.
Cut the chicken out of the bag and remove the bag of "stuff" that is usually inside the kitchen. This is usually the gizzard and a few organs that can be used for broth, although I just throw it away and don't use it. I know wasteful. But I've never really found it made a difference so I just toss it.
Next place your chicken in a dish. We used a 9x13 baking dish since that's what she had on hand. I use a roasting pan which is nothing more than a metal pan with a rack that sits inside. It doesn't really matter. The rack just let's the bottom sit above the juices. But again, don't get hung up on that - it doesn't matter. It will all cook and taste the same. But if you did want to get one, Ikea has a great one that runs around $14-18.
Be sure to place the chicken breast side up. How can you tell? See how the wing tips are pointing up? I try to imagine what the chicken would look like if it were alive and then that always tells me which part is the breast side. I know. It's morbid but it works for me.
Next, cut your onion, lemon and 1/2 stick of butter in to slices. This is what you'll stuff the chicken with along with your herbs. The herbs do not need to be cut.
OK, here's the grosser part...well assuming you've made it this far and didn't stop when I told you to pull out the bag of organs from the middle of the chicken. It's time to stuff the chicken. This was where I almost lost Anna M...
Open up the back end of the chicken and begin stuffing it with the lemons, herbs, butter and onion. Just alternate so that a little of everything is all throughout the cavity. You don't have to stuff it with force, just push a little so that it all gets in there. Sometimes if your onion is large then you may have a piece or two left over. As you're stuffing the herbs, just shove them in there, stems and all. A little here, a little there. This is all what will help flavor your chicken and later your soup. (as you can tell, Anna M was still a little squeamish but she took it like a champ!)
Once you're done, put it back down in the pan, again breast side up. Soften the other portion of your butter and smear it all over the top. Be sure to get the sides and all parts of the chicken that is exposed. It's a little gross, I'll admit, but this is what helps make it crispy and prevent it from drying out.
Then generously coat the chicken in salt. And when I say generously, I don't mean a small sprinkling or a light dusting. I mean make sure it has a good, thick coat over the top and sides. I use my hand to help pat a little salt on the sides. The salt will flavor the meat all the way through, which is why it's important to have enough. I promise it won't taste like a salt lick. Sometimes I also toss a little salt inside the cavity before I stuff it if it's a larger bird. Once it's salted, put a small dusting of pepper over it. When you're done, it will look like this:
Bake it at 350 degrees for 1.5-2hrs. The bigger the bird, the longer it needs. Now I don't generally use a thermometer. I typically check the bird after 1.5 hours. If the leg wiggles easily and is only being held together by the skin, it's done. If you're nervous, you can stick in a meat thermometer to make sure it's at the right temperature. Some actually come with a little thermometer already inserted in the breast that pops out when it's done. This bird cooked for 1 hr and 45 minutes and it was done.
Viola! You have a delicious, roasted chicken!
Once it cools for 10-15 minutes, move it to a plate but don't toss the drippings. Scrape the pan and pour those into a large glass measuring cup or other vessel and stick them in the fridge. We're going to let the fat cool and harden (then scrape it off and toss it) and save the rest of the drippings to use in a soup or gravy. It's a huge flavor punch!
One of my favorite meals is roasted chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli. So delicious! My mouth is salivating just thinking about it.
Still wondering what to do with the leftovers? Here are some ideas:
- make sandwiches with some of the meat. It's so delicious as fresh deli meat!
- cut some chicken off and use it in a chicken pot pie
- or my favorite - make homemade chicken noodle soup!
I'll post more about the chicken noodle soup in another post. If you plan on making soup - don't throw out the carcass. We'll use that to make fresh chicken stock for the soup so nothing is wasted.
Bon Appetit!
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