Do you make a FANTASTIC roast chicken? Recipe, please!

[missypie]

I'm always in search of recipes for very simple, but elegant foods. It seems like roast chicken can be very dry and bland, or it can be heaven on earth. If yours is of the heaven on earth variety, please share your secrets!

 

[bekkiz]

Roast Chickens with Black Pepper—Maple Glaze

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Chicken

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Coarsely ground pepper
2 medium onions -- halved lengthwise
and thinly sliced crosswise
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Two 3 1/2-pound organic chickens

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the maple syrup and 2 teaspoons of coarsely ground pepper. Remove the glaze from the heat.

2. On a large heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, toss the sliced onions with the olive oil. Season the onions with salt and pepper and spread in an even layer. Season the chickens inside and out with salt, then arrange them on top of the onions. Loosely tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string.

3. Roast the chickens for 45 minutes. Brush the chickens all over with half of the maple glaze and continue roasting them for 1 hour longer. Increase the oven temperature to 425°. Generously brush the chickens with the remaining glaze and roast for 15 minutes longer, or until the cavity juices run clear and the chickens are richly browned.

4. Transfer the chickens to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Pour the onions and pan juices into a large glass measuring cup and skim the fat from the surface. Season with salt and pepper and serve with the chickens.

 

[bekkiz]

Psycho Chicken

Whole chicken (a small one-- what are they, like 3 1/2 pounds?)
Approx 1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Approx 1 tablespoon garlic, pressed
Approx 1 tablespoon cider or malt vinegar
Dry white wine (sauvignon blanc works well)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Clean chicken and remove giblets. Hack chicken all over with the tip of a sharp chef's knife to make gashes. (Invariably I find the music to the shower scene in Psycho running through my mind, thus the name, Psycho Chicken-- and lest you think I am thoroughly deranged, this manner of slash and season is actually very common in Cuban cooking.)

In a small bowl, mix together thyme, garlic, salt, pepper and vinegar, and slather liberally on chicken, taking care that mixture gets into slits in the meat. Place chicken on rack in roasting pan (if you don't have a rack, no biggie-- throw the thing directly into the pan) and roast about 2 hours until golden and fragrant, basting every twenty or thirty minutes with a splash of wine and any juices in the pan. Your house will smell wonderful.

Now this is the crucial part, which will make or break the entire dish: If this is cooked properly, your chicken should be running with wonderful juices as you carve. Dredge each slice of carved meat in those juices before placing on platter-- the juices are loaded with garlic and herb flavor.

 

[mickey4ver]

My recipe is to make a trip to Sam's Club...LOL they sell the moistest, best roast chicken I have ever bought, for $4.88. It is delicious and better than any I have ever roasted myself. Doesn't exactly answer your question, but it is my favorite recipe.

 

[hercamore]

Hi,

I like to buy whole Butterball brand chickens as opposed to the some of the other brands like Country Pride. Butterball seems to always turn out juicy no matter what I do to it., LOL.

Usually I just brush olive oil on the kin and put lemons in the cavity and roast 325 oven till meat therm reads done.

I agree Sam's Club does have darn good roasters.

herc.