Roast that Bird

Well, turkey day is only a couple weeks away, which is way too soon if you ask me - this year has flown by.  But that is no reason not to throw a pre-turkey day bird in the oven.  A plump whole roast chicken is a nice treat that is a lot easier to prepare than you might think.

So if you eye whole birds on sale at your local grocer then take one down and put a little love in your oven.

If you purchase a commercial whole chicken just follow the cooking instructions on the packaging for times and temperature.  It's usually something like for a 6-8 lb. chicken you roast at 350 degrees for 2 - 2.5 hours until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reaches 180 degrees. Just season the exterior of the chicken however you like, prior to putting in over.

 I chose what I feel to be a more classic seasoning.   Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Herbs de Provence and a little olive oil - seasoned both outside and inside the cavity

Take your bird out of the packaging and remove the giblets packet inside. Then rinse the whole bird inside and out under cold water. Pat dry with a clean, dry kitchen towel.  (This one happens to have a 'built-in-thermometer, which is handy - though I would still check temp with your own meat thermometer).

Seasoned Butter for stuffing under the skin - mix butter with salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder, and herbs of Provence

 Lift the skin up around the breast area and ever so gently separate it from the meat - then with your hand, push clumps of the seasoned butter under the skin as far as you can go.  Try and distribute butter under the skin as evenly as possible

Finish seasoning the outside of the bird with the same seasonings as in the butter - also season the interior cavity.  I also lightly coated the exterior of the bird with olive oil.  Then tie the legs together at the joint with kitchen twine (make sure to wet twine prior to tying legs) . Then toss into an oven preheated to 350 and cook for 2-2.5 hours ever so often scooping up pan drippings and pouring back over the bird to help season and get a nice crispy skin as it's roasting. 

Side Dish: (FIRST - bake potatoes in oven until a fork can easily be inserted into the side) Then take your baked potatoes and slice them in half to finish cooking in preheated skillet with melted butter.

Smash down a bit to get good contact with pan



Potato topping - sauteed onion, garlic, and jalapeno

add a little cheese at low temp until just melted and then toss on top of potatoes

Final Plate - slice of chicken breast and a leg - potatoes topped with cheesy onion mix then topped with sour cream - all finished with a simple salad of romaine, tomatoes, and red onion w/ bleu cheese dressing.

Don't be intimidated to roast yourself a delicious bird.  It just feels GOOD to pull a beautifully roasted whole chicken out of the oven and let the succulent steam fill the kitchen.  Add some potatoes and a nice fresh salad and you have yourself a truly classic meal.