Cooking a whole chicken?

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I like to stuff the cavity with lemon wedges, and rub the outside with olive oil, rosemary (dried or fresh is fine), kosher salt, and fresh cracked pepper before roasting.

Now that it’s cool enough to use the oven again, I think I might just do a chicken this weekend. Yum!
 
Princess_Abby said:
I’m so squeamish about this that I’m making DH have the honors of sticking his hand around in there tonight and we’ll just have it tomorrow. I know, pathetic.
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Awwww… that’s OK! I was TOTALLY grossed out the first time I cooked a chicken by myself. It was too wierd. That same year I also skinned a trout. The latter was worse. Don’t worry about the chicken, you’ll get used to it. At least it doesn’t have a head with eyes that look at you while you pull it’s skin off…

😉
 
I either cook it in the crockpot or, my favorite, I stuff it with lemons or I cut slits all over the outside and put a bunch of cloves in the slits. Then I put it into a Reynolds roasting bag, brush with butter and cook as they say. The bag keeps them moist as can be with no basting. I do my Thanksgiving turkey in one of those bags too. Again, no basting and you can do it stuffed or unstuffed.
 
I wash the chicken inside and out then loosen the skin. I rub salt and pepper directly on the meat under the skin and inside the cavity. Then I stuff a few bay leaves under the skin on the breast.

Then I set the chicken on one of these and bake at 350 for 20 minutes per pound. The fat and water drips into the pan so the chicken stays moist but not greasy. The skin gets nice and crispy all over. (If I do it in a pan, the back gets all soggy.) I have actually gotten requests for my recipe, and it’s really nothing special.
 
Okay, folks, I am bookmarking this thread!!!

And, yes, now I’m hungry too.

Loren, re your sig: My father used to sing that song! “…and all I do is cry all day.” 😃

DaveBj
 
herbs de provence… i’ve seen that a few times now… what is it?

I made “dishwasher chicken” many moons ago. Long story short, you prep it like you’d put it in the crock pot but put it in a large tupperware container with a good lid and run the dishwasher with heated dry time. (ok, so it entertained the kids and we got a really juicy chicken out of the deal)

My favorite has already been mentioned with the roasting… I’m a huge skin lover so it’s gotta be crunchy with the right seasonings on it! yum!!!
 
Hmm, well I’m glad I’m waiting til tomorrow to make the chicken. Now I have plenty of ways to consider making it.

Thanks guys!
 
Ok Everyone, don’t decide I’m nuts… this is REALLY yummy:

Get the stuff out of the cavity and use it for gravy or whatever.

Open a can of one of the following:
beer (most well known way to do the recipe)
Sprite (voted the best by 10 people I know - and my fav)
Any other soda (I have used Coke, Pepsi, Dr.Pepper and Orange Soda)

Set the can in a shallow baking dish (But make sure it has sides or your oven will be a mess!)

Stick the chicken on the can so the can is up in the cavity and the chicken is looking goofy sitting there with no head.

Cover the outside with Worchester sauce, Garlic Powder, Onion salt, and/or some all seasoning. Really you can season the outside with whatever your favorite seasoning for chicken is… When we did the orage soda we used lemon herb spice on the outside to go with a citrusy theme.

Stick it in the oven (don’t spill the drink!) and bake it for 2 hours on about 375 degrees.

It’s done if the wing or leg comes off easy when you pull.

Yes, it looks weird… BUT it’s the best, juciest chicken I’ve ever had.
 
Put an onion, peeled but uncut, in the cavity (this works for turkey too). It will keep the meat really moist and tender. Even my MIL was impressed when I served roast chicken and asked my “secret”. It also gives the meat a bit of an onion flavor, but not an overpowering one.
 
Well, I made our chicken and it turned out great. I used garlic, onion (inside the cavity), parsley and butter (well, smart balance) with a dash of thyme and rosemary. Mmm!!! I also made a small tossed salad, homemade wheat rolls, roasted red potatoes, fresh asparagus and apple crisp.

For all my squeamishness about reaching inside the cavity…our chicken was empty!!! No gizzards or any of that yucky stuff. Whew.

Thanks for your help! I’m sure I’ll make another chicken soon and I’ll keep choosing from all these interesting ways… I’ve never brined before, I’ve never used beer…I want to try that out.
 
Don’t forget the matzo balls.

INGREDIENTS:
4 eggs
1/2 cup club soda
3 Tbsp vegetable oil or chicken fat (schmaltz)
2 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup matzo meal
PREPARATION:
Whisk the eggs until blended. Now add the club soda, vegetable oil or schmaltz, salt and pepper. Easy on the salt, you can always add but you can never take away.

Bring about 5 quarts of water to boil. Rub vegetable oil on hands and form matzo balls with about two tablespoons of mixture. Drop in boiling water and simmer covered and don’t peek (okay, maybe once or twice) for about 25 to 35 minutes. Serve in Absolute Best Passover Chicken Broth.

Yield: about 12 to 15 matzo balls
 
Easy dinner: Chicken Dutch Grandmother:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash, pat dry, and season a whole chicken; pin wings back. Fussy types might even tie the chicken with string to maintain shape. Melt a little butter in a cast iron skillet (or one you can put directly in the oven); brown chicken on all sides. Put the whole thing in the oven and cook until the chicke is done - 45 - 60 minutes, or until what, 170 or 180 on the meat thermometer. Remove skillet from the oven, place the chicken on a platter and keep warm while you add some diced salt pork or bacon to the juices in the pan. Fry up; remove and reserve. To the hot juices and f*t in the skillet add small new potatoes, pearl onions (or sliced larger ones) and some sliced carrots; cook and stir until they are done. Add peas (frozen work well) and finally some sliced mushrooms. Season to taste, sprinkle with the diced salt pork or bacon. Carve up the bird and serve. It’s dinner from one pan and oh, those vegetables!

I remember when whole chicken went up to .25 per pound. I thought we would all starve to death…times certainly do change…
 
a_cermak said:
Roasting is good, another, if you have a grill is to grill it. I usually do it beer can style (albeit with a diet coke can as I don’t drink beer from cans). Just google for beer can chicken.
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I would like to second beer can chicken as being a GREAT way to cook a chicken. Generally, I use 2 small roasters when I make this.
 
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