Best Roast Chicken. Ever.

[Mikey]

Another classic recipe from Marcella Hazan. This is simple, easy, in-fucking-credible.

My daughter requested beer can chicken tomorrow night for here birthday dinner (our tradition is that you get to request anything, within reason, for your birthday dinner - sort of like death row). I'm going to do this instead. I did it once before, when she was away at school, so she doesn't know how good it is.

Try adding some potatoes and carrots to the roasting pan for an almost complete meal.

Roast Chicken with Lemons
Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

3 – 4 lb chicken
2 small lemons
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wash the chicken thoroughly in cold water, inside and out. Remove the neck and all the bits inside, then trim any loose hanging fat. Drain all the water from the inside and pat dry.

Rub generous amounts of salt and pepper on the chicken, and sprinkle some inside the cavity as well.

Wash the lemons, then soften them by rolling them with the palm of your hand on the counter. This helps release the juices on the inside. Then, with a skewer or toothpick poke at least 20 holes (through to the pulp) into each lemon.

Stuff the lemons into the cavity, then close up the opening either with toothpicks or trussing needles and string. Don’t close it up air tight or the chicken may burst during cooking.

Put the chicken breast down in a roasting pan. The chicken is self-basting, so it won’t stick to the pan. Place it in the upper third of the oven and roast for 30-35 minutes. After 30 minutes, carefully turn the chicken over (breast up). Try not to break the skin. If the skin remains intact then it will swell up like a balloon, making for a fun presentation!

Cook for another 30-35 minutes, then turn the oven up to 400 degrees and continue roasting for another 20 minutes.

Note: Save the bones, for this makes the best soup stock too!

[Mikey]

I've got about 50 ripe lemons on my "dwarf" meyer lemon tree. Gotta start doing something with them.

Last year I filled about 1 1/2 of those large fruit boxes you get at Costco and took them to work, and still ended up with 3 one gallon bags of frozen lemon juice cubes. Still have 2 of those bags in the freezer.

Trimmed the tree way back and still have a lot of fruit.

Waste not want not and all that stuff. I hate paying fiddy cents a piece in the market for juiceless lemons.

[ppanther]

Yum. I'm going to try this next week.

[Mikey]

I stuffed my dry brined Thanksgiving turkey this year with lemons. That was awesome too.

[Ken]

Nothing wrong with simplicity. My personal, favorite roast chicken recipe comes from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook (btw, if you don’t have this cookbook, get it, especially if you enjoy bistro cooking).

Clean the bird with cold water and allow to dry. Season inside with salt and pepper and truss.
Season the outside of the bird with a bit of salt and pepper. Place inside the cavity: one half lemon, one half onion, one sprig of rosemary and thyme.
Gently slip one pat of herb butter underneath the skin, on top of each breast.
Rub down outside of bird with softened, plain butter
Place into bottom of roasting pan: other half of onion and giblets. Place chicken on top. Add ½ cup of white wine to pan and roast for 30 mins at 375, basting occasionally.
Increase heat to 450 and roast for another 25 mins.
Remove and rest for 15 mins before carving.
Reduce remaining wine and nasty bits in the bottom of the roasting pan by half. Remove giblets and onion, add 1-2 tbsp of butter and season with salt and pepper.

I’ve done this recipe 3 times and every time- A1.

[Goober McTuber]

Jeez, Kendra, it’s going to be kind of difficult to stuff the one half lemon, one half onion, one sprig of rosemary and thyme inside the cavity once you’ve trussed it up. I do like the recipe for Mikey’s lemon-bird.

[Mikey]

Cooked up two of those birds on Saturday along with:

- baby red potatoes quartered and marinated in garlic, EVOO, italian parsley, S&P, and roasted

- swiss chard sauteed with a mushroom medly, garlic, EVOO and a little balsamic

It was a great combination. The juices from the chicken were awesome when spooned over the roasted potatoes.

Nice thing about the chicken is you roast it in a small foil pan and there's basically nothing to clean up.

[indyfrisco]

Goober, I thought the same thing when I read Ken's recipe. His does sound good though.

Mikey, I like the no mess approach, but honestly, those big foil pans are rather expensive. I'm sure when you break down the cost of soap, water, electricity and most important time saved, it's rather nominal I'm sure, but paying $2 or so for a foil pan just rubs me the wrong way. I know it seems odd, but it's one of those things I just don't bring myself to do unless we're going to some kind of potluck deal and I just don't want to bother with keeping track of my own dish.

[Goober McTuber]

Or you could line your pan with foil. It's like $2 for a whole roll.

[Mikey]

I see your point. Actually it's the first time I tried those pans when not fixing a large turkey. The small ones were three for $4.99 or something like that. Worth it? Maybe yes, maybe no. I'll try lining the pan next time.

[indyfrisco]

Or you could line your pan with foil. It's like $2 for a whole roll.

I do this with my portable roasting oven I use as a warmer for parties. I'll make brisket or pulled pork or an assortment of meats, line the thing with heavy duty foil and put the BBQ and sauce in the lined pan. This way, it is easier cleanup and it also does not burn the BBQ sauce onto the pan.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

I broke down and bought the Marcella Hazan book per this thread's recommendation. Tonight I made the pan-roasted chicken with garlic, rosemary, and white wine. Prettay, prettay, prettay good.

[Mikey]

I broke down and bought the Marcella Hazan book per this thread's recommendation. Tonight I made the pan-roasted chicken with garlic, rosemary, and white wine. Prettay, prettay, prettay good.

If you like to cook, you will someday realize that this was one of the best purchases you've ever made.

I've only scratched the surface of the material in there but have never been led astray. Try the pork roast braised in milk. It sounds very strange but it's very good and very easy.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

It appears there are a lot of easy recipes which don't require a lot of ingredients (and obscure ingredients that I wouldn't use often), so that's one thing I like about it.

- baby red potatoes quartered and marinated in garlic, EVOO, italian parsley, S&P, and roasted

Sounds good. Do you have a recipe for this or do you just kind of wing it?

[Mikey]

It appears there are a lot of easy recipes which don't require a lot of ingredients (and obscure ingredients that I wouldn't use often), so that's one thing I like about it.

- baby red potatoes quartered and marinated in garlic, EVOO, italian parsley, S&P, and roasted

Sounds good. Do you have a recipe for this or do you just kind of wing it?

Sort of wing it.

Preheat the oven to 425. Wash and dry the potatoes. Quarter them and toss into a plastic bowl with a tight fitting lid. Add some dried (or fresh) minced garlic, chopped parsley (or fresh rosemary), a couple tbs of EVOO and S&P to taste. Put the lid on the bowl and shake to coat the potatoes. Dump the whole thing into a baking dish in a single layer. Roast them in the upper third of the oven for about 20 or 25 minutes, then take it out and toss them around with a spatula and put back in the oven for another 20 minutes or so. Cook until nice and brown on the outside.

Actually I've been doing it in the microwave convection oven lately. It heats up a lot faster than the big oven. I have a non-stick pan that fits nicely on the turntable. They cook up nice and even in this oven and it leaves the main oven free for other stuff, like Mikey's impossible to fuck up best in class baked chicken.

[Ken]

It appears there are a lot of easy recipes which don't require a lot of ingredients (and obscure ingredients that I wouldn't use often), so that's one thing I like about it.

- baby red potatoes quartered and marinated in garlic, EVOO, italian parsley, S&P, and roasted

Sounds good. Do you have a recipe for this or do you just kind of wing it?

Sort of wing it.

Preheat the oven to 425. Wash and dry the potatoes. Quarter them and toss into a plastic bowl with a tight fitting lid. Add some dried (or fresh) minced garlic, chopped parsley (or fresh rosemary), a couple tbs of EVOO and S&P to taste. Put the lid on the bowl and shake to coat the potatoes. Dump the whole thing into a baking dish in a single layer. Roast them in the upper third of the oven for about 20 or 25 minutes, then take it out and toss them around with a spatula and put back in the oven for another 20 minutes or so. Cook until nice and brown on the outside.

Actually I've been doing it in the microwave convection oven lately. It heats up a lot faster than the big oven. I have a non-stick pan that fits nicely on the turntable. They cook up nice and even in this oven and it leaves the main oven free for other stuff, like Mikey's impossible to fuck up best in class baked chicken.

How I prepared potatoes the last time I made a roast chicken… really, not anything special (actually, a bit traditional) but nonetheless:
Quarter about 10 baby, red potatoes (skin on)
Boil till fork tender, or to just before done and strain.
In a deep pan, saute garlic and fresh rosemary in butter.
Toss potatoes with the garlic/rosemary/butter and serve.

Don’t like potatoes much, but this way, quite good.

And as for placing the lemon and onion into the bird after trussing… yes, correct. But I generally don’t truss that way but rather tuck the end leg joint into the skin on either side, so it works for me. Too hard to explain.

[indyfrisco]

Todd,

I think my point is more along the lines I don't order out. Really, I don't. Every night is a new meal, rarely planned. Mostly improvised.

[Mikey]

Mikey, I like the no mess approach, but honestly, those big foil pans are rather expensive. I'm sure when you break down the cost of soap, water, electricity and most important time saved, it's rather nominal I'm sure, but paying $2 or so for a foil pan just rubs me the wrong way.

I hate to come off as some sort of hippie counter-culture recycler, but I'm always saving foil pans from restaurants that I get a meal from. Outback uses some good sized foil pans with their salads and fries. A lot of chinese food joints tend to have 'em as well. They rule for broiling scallops, which I'm partial to.

Getting one large enough for a bird, tho......that's a challenge.

If anyone knows of a place that uses large foil pans? Out with it.

A lot of Eye-talian restaurants will have large foil pans (the kind with a white cardboard cover) on hand for big take-out orders of lasagne, other pasta dishes or salads.

[smackaholic]

roasted a chicken last night. forgot to buy lemons and unfortunately, my lemon tree doesn't have any currently. I did do the cut up taters with EVOO, basil, S&P and some seasoning salt. THey were better than the chicken, especially the ones that sat under the chicken and got drowned in chicken fat.

what tastes better than properly seasoned chicken fat? possibly seasoned pork fat?

[smackaholic]

what tastes better than properly seasoned chicken fat?

Gravy made with that properly seasoned chicken fat.

It's the main reason I never mess around with foil pans or aluminum foil lining. Just a properly cleaned roasting pan.

how "green" of you, mvscal.

so, why don't you use something more sustainable, mikey, you fat hippie(critical) bastard. those al lou minnie um pans don't grow on trees, ya know.

[Goober McTuber]

what tastes better than properly seasoned chicken fat?

Gravy made with that properly seasoned chicken fat.

It's the main reason I never mess around with foil pans or aluminum foil lining. Just a properly cleaned roasting pan.

how "green" of you, mvscal.

so, why don't you use something more sustainable, mikey, you fat hippie(critical) bastard. those al lou minnie um pans don't grow on trees, ya know.

Not quite

[missjo]

I bought an organic chicken from the farmers markets & decided to give this method a whirl
it was Amazing !!!!
two thumbs up thanks Mikey

[Mikey]

I bought an organic chicken from the farmers markets & decided to give this method a whirl
it was Amazing !!!!
two thumbs up thanks Mikey

Glad it came out good for you. I've been roasting two at a time this way, about every second Saturday for the past couple of months. It makes a great dinner, and the leftovers last us for two or three days to take to work for lunch, either by itself or (for me at least) mixed with some hot dish.

[Goober McTuber]

Mikey,

Do you roast the potatoes with the chicken for an hour and 20 minutes, or do them separately for 40-45 minutes at 425º?

[Mikey]

First time I did it I put the (quartered) potatoes around the chicken when there was about 40-45 minutes cooking time left and they came out pretty good.

The past several times I made this chicken I've put two birds side by side in one pan that doesn't leave much extra room for anything else. Also it ends up with a lot of juices in the pan, which would probably just make the potatoes soggy. So, I've been doing roasted potatoes in the combo MW convection oven set at 425, which works really well.

[Goober McTuber]

I have a rack for the bird in my roasting pan which could also hold the potatoes. I also don't have a convection oven, and I can't imagine a standard microwave will properly brown the potatoes.

[Mikey]

I have a rack for the bird in my roasting pan which could also hold the potatoes. I also don't have a convection oven, and I can't imagine a standard microwave will properly brown the potatoes.

I wouldn't microwave them either. The microwave/convection only works on one mode at a time.

The advantages to the convection oven are that it pre-heats quickly because it has a small volume, and it cooks things more quickly and evenly due to the convection fan, and the fact that the turntable still operates in convection mode.

[indyfrisco]

I have a rack for the bird in my roasting pan which could also hold the potatoes. I also don't have a convection oven, and I can't imagine a standard microwave will properly brown the potatoes.

How about putting the potatoes underneath the rack, let them roast in the bird's juices, remove bird and potatoes once the roast is complete and then make a gravy with the drippings to pour back over the potatoes?

[Goober McTuber]

OK, put me down as another believer. Made the lemon chicken last night and it was excellent. Lunch tomorrow will be a nice crusty baguette dressed up with some basil mayo, slabs of chicken breast, lettuce and tomato.

I don't know where she buys the midget lemons, though. Barely fit one on the bird's cavity.

[indyfrisco]

I always just cut my lemons in half when stuffing a chicken and it works just fine rather than trying to buy small lemons and then pricking them like it was Friday night.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Damn, I still have yet to try this holy grail of chicken dinners.

[Mikey]

OK, put me down as another believer. Made the lemon chicken last night and it was excellent. Lunch tomorrow will be a nice crusty baguette dressed up with some basil mayo, slabs of chicken breast, lettuce and tomato.

I don't know where she buys the midget lemons, though. Barely fit one on the bird's cavity.

The chickens I've been using are closer to 5 lb. Takes a little more cooking, something like 40-40-30 minutes for the three periods. I've got a dwarf Meyer lemon tree in the back yard that produces tons of fruit, and it's got fruit for prolly half the year. The fruit is a little smaller than a "normal" lemon, has a thinner skin and more but less sour juice. If I get them when just yellow they're small enough to fit two into the 5 pounders with no problem.

[Goober McTuber]

My chicken was 4.5 lbs, the smallest lemon I could find just barely fit in there.

[Mikey]

I guess Calfornia has small lemon

[indyfrisco]

Do they swell when they ship them to the MIdwest? The lemons I generally buy are from Cali.

[Goober McTuber]

I guess Calfornia has small lemon

You probably have all kinds of small

[Mikey]

Do they swell when they ship them to the MIdwest? The lemons I generally buy are from Cali.

Prolly most of the fruit you buy is from Cali, at least when it's in season around here. And, you get the stuff that's grown to ship. Thick skinned for the most part, picked before it's ripe, bred to have consistent size and color, but not for flavor. Sucks for the rest of you that the good stuff can only be had locally.

Apparently the Meyer variety does't ship well (probably because of their thinner skin) because you rarely see them in the stores, even around here. They're pretty popular in the farmers markets though. Thinner skin than your hardball ship out of state varieties, juicier and sweeter. Oh, and a little smaller.

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/jan/16 ... erlemons16

[Mikey]

I guess Calfornia has small lemon

You probably have all kinds of small

We have all kinds of fruit and produce

[Goober McTuber]

I guess Calfornia has small lemon

You probably have all kinds of small

We have all kinds of fruit and produce

We know all about your fruit - it's called "San Francisco".

[Mikey]

You live in Madison, right?