SIMPLY DELICIOUS ROASTING CHICKEN TO PERFECTION BACK TO BASICS.Byline: Natalie Haughton Food Editor A whole roasted chicken conjures up a flavorful, golden brown, juicy, crisp-skinned bird - simple comfort food at its best. Americans are consuming more chicken than ever these days. Consumption has more than doubled since 1970 - increasing from 40.3 pounds to 81.9 pounds in 2002 - according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the USDA USDA, n.pr See United States Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service. Sales of California-grown chickens are also on the rise, having increased 6 percent last year, notes Bill Mattos, president of the Modesto-based California Poultry Federation. In addition, ``sales of rotisserie chickens (at supermarkets and big-box stores) have been growing 15 to 20 percent a year for the last 10 years.'' Those rotisserie chickens are the ultimate in convenience but prices have been rising. Turning out a glorious, golden roasted chicken at home can save money, and little effort is required for success. ``Roasted chicken is my idea of a TV dinner,'' say James Peterson James Peterson is an American writer and teacher of the culinary arts. He holds a degree in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley. His apprenticeship in the culinary arts began with classes at Paris' Cordon Bleu and with work at Le Vivarois. , author of ``Essentials of Cooking'' and eight other cookbooks, adding that ``roasting a chicken is not a big deal. You turn the oven on and roast it. The chicken bastes itself. You don't do anything.'' Use the best-quality fresh chicken you can find and afford (organic, if available), advises Peterson, a former Manhattan restaurateur res·tau·ra·teur also res·tau·ran·teur n. The manager or owner of a restaurant. [French, from restaurer, to restore; see restaurant. who now belongs to the fuss-free, keep-it-simple school of cooking. Because he never anticipates in advance when he'll be roasting a chicken, Peterson skips brining or salting, something other experts recommend for juicier, more-flavorful meat. In the March issue of Fine Cooking magazine, Pam Anderson, author of ``How to Cook Without a Book,'' ``CookSmart'' and other cookbooks, advises salting (kosher salt kosher salt n. A refined, coarse-grained salt with no additives. [From its use in making meat kosher by drawing out the blood.] ) the chicken inside and out and letting it stand in the fridge uncovered (to help the skin dry out) at least two hours (or up to two days) before roasting for a crisp, finished result. Salting is simpler and almost as effective in terms of flavor as brining, she notes. Others suggest using kosher chicken, which doesn't require brining. To prepare a chicken for roasting, remove giblets gib·lets pl.n. The edible heart, liver, or gizzard of a fowl. [From Middle English gibelet, from Old French, game stew, perhaps alteration of *giberet, from gibier, and neck from the chicken cavity, rinse the chicken inside and out with cold running water, pat dry with paper towels, pull off all the excess fat, and season it all over with salt (any kind) and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle the chicken with an array of ground seasoning blends like southwest, Italian or whatever you have handy - or brush the skin with olive oil olive oil, pale yellow to greenish oil obtained from the pulp of olives by separating the liquids from solids. Olive oil was used in the ancient world for lighting, in the preparation of food, and as an anointing oil for both ritual and cosmetic purposes. , if desired. Although it isn't necessary, you can stuff the cavity with garlic, onions, lemon and herbs. Roasting directions vary, depending on the recipe, the cook or the expert you follow. Although some experts advise trussing truss n. 1. Medicine A supportive device, usually a pad with a belt, worn to prevent enlargement of a hernia or the return of a reduced hernia. 2. a. the bird for attractive looks, it's not mandatory, adds Peterson. While some are adamant about roasting the chicken on a rack, particularly a V-rack, Peterson simply places the chicken on the bottom of a baking pan. ``I caution against using a rack because the juices will drop down and burn up in the roasting pan. The chicken doesn't stew in its own juices if the oven is hot - they will caramelize car·a·mel·ize tr. & intr.v. car·a·mel·ized, car·a·mel·iz·ing, car·a·mel·iz·es To convert or be converted into caramel. car before they have a chance to accumulate and burn,'' he explains. Peterson roasts the bird breast side up for the entire cooking time, while Anderson starts roasting breast side down, then turns the bird over after 30 minutes. ``Roasting the bird at a high temperature produces crispy brown skin and moist meat without having to baste baste 1 tr.v. bast·ed, bast·ing, bastes To sew loosely with large running stitches so as to hold together temporarily. or turn the chicken during cooking,'' notes Rick Rodgers in ``Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Roasting.'' Peterson roasts in a preheated 500-degree oven to start. ``If your oven isn't hot enough, the chicken will never get brown.'' Because breast meat cooks faster than thigh meat, he shields the breast the first 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time (until the thighs are crispy brown) with a double thickness of buttered foil. After removing the foil, continue roasting 25 minutes or so, until the breast browns. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and roast until the chicken is cooked through. Figure on about 50 minutes total roasting time, says Peterson. Although not everyone would agree, ``Chicken that is properly cooked has clear juices with streaks of dark red in it in the joint area,'' says Peterson, adding that the breast will not be pink or red. ``The major secret to cooking chicken is not to overcook overcook Verb to spoil food by cooking it for too long Verb 1. overcook - cook too long; "The vegetables were completely overcooked" it.'' Natalie Haughton, (818) 713-3692 natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com Here are various ways to roast a chicken. Pick the one you like best. MY FAVORITE My Favorite is an independent synthpop band from Long Island, New York. They released two CDs: Love at Absolute Zero and Happiest Days of Our Lives. My Favorite broke up on September 14, 2005, when singer Andrea Vaughn left the band. SIMPLE ROAST CHICKEN 1 (2- to 3-pound) farm-raised chicken Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper black pepper or pepper Perennial, woody climbing vine (Piper nigrum) of the family Piperaceae, native to India; also, the hotly pungent spice made from its berries. 2 teaspoons minced thyme (optional) Unsalted butter Dijon mustard Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Rinse chicken, then dry very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better. Salt and pepper
Now, salt the chicken - I like to rain salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp, salty, flavorful skin (about 1 tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked onto the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper. Place chicken in saute sau·té tr.v. sau·téed, sau·té·ing, sau·tés To fry lightly in fat in a shallow open pan. n. A dish of food so prepared. pan or roasting pan and, when oven is up to temperature, put chicken in oven. Leave it alone - don't baste it, don't add butter. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from oven and add thyme, if using, to pan. Baste chicken with juices and thyme and let it rest 15 minutes on a cutting board. Remove twine twine: see cordage. . Separate middle wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. But I take the chicken butt for myself. I could never understand why my brothers always fought over that triangular tip - until one day I got the crispy, juicy fat myself. These are the cook's rewards. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone, with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be super elegant. Slather slath·er tr.v. slath·ered, slath·er·ing, slath·ers Informal 1. To use or give great amounts of; lavish: slathered gifts and attention on their only child. 2. a. the meat with fresh butter. Serve with mustard on the side and, if you wish, a simple green salad. You'll start using a knife and fork, but finish with your fingers, because it's so good. Makes 2 to 4 servings. From ``Bouchon,'' by Thomas Keller
Thomas Keller (born October 14, 1955) is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook writer. with Jeffrey Cerciello. PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN This is my husband's favorite Friday night dinner. It's a tradition with us. Of course, I would never tell him that it is also the world's easiest dinner. 1 (5- to 6-pound) roasting chicken Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 large bunch fresh thyme 1 lemon, halved 1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 Spanish onion Spanish onion n. A mild-flavored, yellow-skinned onion (Allium fistulosum) having yellowish-white flowers. Noun 1. Spanish onion - large mild and succulent onion; often eaten raw , thickly sliced 1 cup chicken stock 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour Remove chicken giblets. Rinse chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers A pin feather, sometimes called a "blood feather", is a developing feather on a bird. This feather can grow as a new feather during the bird's infancy, or grow to replace one from moulting. The pin feather looks somewhat like a feather shaft. and pat outside dry. Place chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper inside of chicken. Stuff cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon and all garlic. Brush outside of chicken with butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie legs together with kitchen string and tuck wing tips under body of chicken. Scatter onion slices around chicken. Roast chicken in a preheated 425-degree oven 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove to a platter and cover with foil while preparing gravy. Remove all the fat from bottom of pan, reserving 2 tablespoons in a small cup. Add chicken stock to pan and cook on high heat about 5 minutes, until reduced, scraping bottom of pan. Combine 2 tablespoons chicken fat with flour and add to pan. Boil for a few minutes, whisking, to cook flour. Strain gravy in a small saucepan and season to taste. Keep warm over a very low flame while you carve chicken. Slice chicken onto a platter and serve immediately with warm gravy. Makes 3 to 4 servings. From ``The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook,'' by Ina Garten  Ina Rosenberg Garten (born February 2 1948) is an American author, and host of the Food Network program Barefoot Contessa. . BASIC ROAST CHICKEN 1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds), giblets removed and reserved for another use, chicken rinsed and patted dry with paper towels 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Salt and ground black pepper Oil for V-rack Place a shallow roasting pan in the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Brush chicken with butter and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper to taste. Remove heated pan from oven and set an oiled V-rack in it. Place the chicken on the rack, wing-side up. Roast 15 minutes, then rotate the chicken, other wing-side up. Roast 15 minutes, then rotate the chicken, breast side up. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the breast registers 160 degrees F and in the thigh between 165 and 170 degrees F, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes. Carve and serve. Makes 4 servings. From ``The Best Recipe American Classics,'' by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated Cook’s Illustrated is a bimonthly American cooking magazine founded and edited by Christopher Kimball and published by Boston Common Press in Brookline, Massachusetts. magazine. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Comfort food How to roast a chicken Photo by Deborah Jones from ``Bouchon,'' Artisan (2 -- color) no caption (roasted chickens) Photo by James Peterson from ``Essentials of Cooking,'' Artisan Box: (1) Safety tips for chicken (2) Types of chicken - Seattle Times Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture |
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