-roasted chicken the only way i know how-
i love roasting (and eating) chickens, but i'm such a food safety fanatic (seriously its a problem, my hands are destroyed from excessive / obsessive washings) that lately i have just can't feel comfortable about buying a "regular" chicken. you know; the ones that cost $100 a pound, claim to be organic free-range but are in-fact just as beak-less, crammed into poop infested 6" cages and bred to have breast that are so large they can barely stand (if they had the choice). not to mention they barely even slightly tastes better that the salmonella brand. sign. woe is me.was me. about two months ago i discovered a local, small farmer that raises heirloom chickens and cornish hens. heirloom meaning the breed itself hasn't been genitically modified to have no legs and triple sized breasts. small farmer meaning the chickens are actually treated like chickens, with a yard-like place to live and eat, they are actually allowed to age appropriately (thusly the meat actually taste like something) and have no need for hormones or antibiotic. it may not carry a FDA doled "organic" sticker on it but did your great grandfather's chickens have that badge of lies? i didn't think so. and just look at the size of those gorgeous legs my birds have! beat that butterball.
-yes, that is a standard sized dinner plate with an awesome sized chicken leg on it-
so my rant is over. i've been on a semi-regular schedule of roasting a chicken (don't forget the gravy) every sunday night and feeding off it for days, months if you include all the dishes i make with the tasty meat and freeze for later enjoyment. my plan here is to have a little mini-series of roasted chicken recipes that start with the roasting and move on through to the soup and sautés that come out of the left overs.
POST 1:
THE BEST ROASTED CHICKEN EVER
(1) 3 1/2 - 4lb chicken
1-2 tbs melted butter
1 tbs kosher salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 lemon, cut into 4-6 wedges
1 garlic clove, slice in half
1 large onion, cut into 6-8 wedges
*preheat oven to 425F
*rinse chicken in cold water, pat dry
* season the cavity, stuff with the lemon, thyme and garlic
*place onions in roasting pan
*place the bird on a roasting rack (in your roasting pan)
*tie the legs together and tuck the wings in
*brush generously with the melted butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper
*bake for 50 - 75 minutes depending on size. don't over bake, start checking after 50 minutes
*leftover recipes to follow - or if you are feeding 4-6 people, you won't have any so...*
*and don't forget the gravy! if you need a step-by-step on that - just leave a comment and i'll hook you up*
i almost deleted the email you sent for i knew if your dad say that chicken he would make me do one for him tonight and i was sure we did not have one and that meant a trip to the grocery but then i thought - we go to the grocery store every day anyway and then i looked in the freezer and guess i had only cooked one of the two cornish hens we got last time you posted the hen pictures. so guess what we will have for dinner tomorrow night. not tonight - have to go up to the country day get somemore "real" eggs for Sharon Smith - a friend from his school days as well as Rita's running buddy.
ReplyDeletewill let you know if it comes out close to looking like yours.
ha! yeah i know the feeling or "don't get any ideas". let me know how it goes - remind him that i use the garlic too and it doesn't bother me at all - just and aromatic.
ReplyDeletehave fun at the camp! i wish i could get my hands on some of those eggs - could make a killer soufflé!