Your FAVORITE roast chicken recipe

[eskimoted]

I'm rather partial to boning the chicken out, stuffing it with lots of garlic, ground chicken and fresh tarragon then reforming the whole thing back as a chicken.

The carcass then produces the stock for the gravy.

Quick and easy to do.

Wouldn't say I have a favourite - I like plenty of different ways of roasting chicken - but this one is in the top 5.

Another great way is an Indonesian recipe. Roasting is only one of the 3 cooking methods so it might not count on this thread! You steam the whole chicken for a bit, then roast it (preferably in a bbq), then portion it and simmer the portions in a coconut gravy (pound shallots, galangal, lime leaves, chilli, blachan, garlic, coriander root, peanut oil & turmeric & fry off till the oil breaks out and the paste is a mahogony reddish colour). Finish with fish sauce at the table. YUM-OH

[bleudauvergne]

Poulet Roti. After checking the bird over, I smear it with melted butter and cover it with a liberal amount of Paprika, pinch of Cayenne, Herbes de Provence, Salt, and Pepper. Sometimes I let it sit like that for awhile. I then put 6 or 8 whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled, in the cavity cook it on the spit (the oven rotisserie), 45 minutes, with a pan underneath. When it’s done, I take the drippings which have fallen into the pan, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into that, mash it up, add a reduced stock, and add butter over low heat to and make a sauce. I add fresh herbs according to season.

Always served with a liberal serving of vegtable in season.

We like chicken a lot but its really expensive here, so we don’t get it as often as we like, it’s more like Sunday dinner fare. Poulet de Bresse (Bresse is an hour by car from us) costs even more but it’s worth it. Farm raised is the only one available at the butcher. My butcher refuses to buy industrial meats, which can be annoying when you must have something that is not generally available due to season (like a thanksgiving turkey). But the chicken and everything else he gets for me is very favorful.

I recently discovered, since the broth that comes only from leftover chicken just isn't the same for us, and we cannot afford to whole chicken all the time that the “carcasses” he can get are simply laden with meat. Although I know he would prefer that I buy whole chickens, I have begun to ask him to bring me a couple of carcasses back from his Monday run. I know that the whole carcass thing is generally discouraged in the eG stock class, but we make very good broth which is used throughout the week with them.

- Lucy

Edited February 13, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[picaman]

Here

...is another thread on this subject.

Jamie

[denise_jer]

My new current favourite is from Jamie Oliver where you stuff it with  couscous and dried fruits, rub it with moorish spices and then bake it on a sweet potato "stovie".  Then just squeeze fresh lemon over the top and it's fantastic.

He also did a really cool one, Chicken in Milk, that my sister and I like a lot. The lemon zest and milk make a really cool sauce when it is done.

Another favorite in our house is Roast Chicken with Olives and Potatoes. It is really simple, easy and flavorful.

[Larry]

Larry: By sweet potato Stovie do you mean you like halve sweets then place the chicken on them?

Yes, just cut them in hapf and lay the chicken on them. Once done, drain a bit of the fat and mash them together.

[Mabelline]

I'm going to try fifi's coconut chicken recipe with a capon that should be ready next week. The recipe sounds too good!

Thanks, Larry. I kind of deduced that it might be that--but it sounded so cute I thought it might be some cooking utensil I didn't have yet.

Edited February 13, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[Jay-bob]

Bubbles just loves it when I schmeer mince preserved lemons ,rosemary and garlic together with some black pepper on the bird.

Another favorite is to push some 'herbs de provence' (sorry about the spelling) under the skin before roasting. Had one like this last week with some green beans and mashed parsnip potatos, now thems good eatin'.

[Al_Dente]

Rub that bird (spatchcocked, of course) with lemon juice, garlic, minced serranos, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and s&p. Mix some butter with plenty of cilantro and/or parsley and stuff that under the skin.

[SethG]

Soba, I tried your chicken tonight-- I was intrigued by using 40 cloves of garlic in a roasted shicken-- I'd previously only seen it done in a pot, sealed at the top with a ring of dough, with the chicken swimming in a ton of olive oil (not that there's anything wrong with that). I also liked your idea of using preserved lemon in the cavity.

So the chicken was delish! Although next time I think I'll rub the chicken all over with the preserved lemon, or use more of it. I put in half a lemon in the cavity and it wasn't really noticeable in the final taste. One other thing-- when you make this dish in a pot the garlic comes out so mild and creamy; you then spread it on bread as if it were butter. I tried that here but the cloves just didn't soften the same way. And I wasn't about to cook the chicken one second more in order to get soft garlic cloves. Anyway, the crisp skin on the very garlicky but very tasty chicken was more than compensation enough for the less-than-perfect garlic cloves.

By the way, I don't have a favorite roast chicken. I love roast chicken; I roast one at least once a week. But I'm still looking for the perfect recipe. I try new ones all the time.

Edit: when I say shicken above, I mean chicken.

Edited February 14, 2004 by SethG (log)

[edsel]

I'm rather partial to boning the chicken out, stuffing it with lots of garlic, ground chicken and fresh tarragon then reforming the whole thing back as a chicken.

The carcass then produces the stock for the gravy.

Quick and easy to do.

Wouldn't say I have a favourite - I like plenty of different ways of roasting chicken - but this one is in the top 5.

Another great way is an Indonesian recipe. Roasting is only one of the 3 cooking methods so it might not count on this thread! You steam the whole chicken for a bit, then roast it (preferably in a bbq), then portion it and simmer the portions in a coconut gravy (pound shallots, galangal, lime leaves, chilli, blachan, garlic, coriander root, peanut oil & turmeric & fry off till the oil breaks out and the paste is a mahogony reddish colour). Finish with fish sauce at the table. YUM-OH

Ted, both of those sound awesome. For the boned-and-stuffed chicken, what kind of ground chicken meat do you use? White meat? Dark? Do you include any skin or fat in the grind?

I've roasted boned/stuffed turkey* before but I'm not sure how long to roast this chicken since the forcemeat stuffing will make it rather dense. This is sort of like a galantine, only roasted....

* please don't count the number of times I said "bird" in that post.

[bleudauvergne]

Rub that bird (spatchcocked, of course) with lemon juice, garlic, minced serranos, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and s&p. Mix some butter with plenty of cilantro and/or parsley and stuff that under the skin.

This sounds like a winner. I'm going to try it.

-Lucy

[mongo_jones]

people,

i am doing something dangerous. inspired by this thread and unable to choose between two of my usual favorites--40 garlic-clove chicken and chicken with 2 lemons--i have split the difference. i currently have in the oven a chicken stuffed with 20 cloves of garlic and one lemon. oh yes, the chicken has been rubbed inside and out first with a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then with sea salt and black pepper.

i will accept nominations on further atrocities i can commit against this bird in about 15 minutes when i turn it over. hit me!

mongo

[Toliver]

people,

i am doing something dangerous. inspired by this thread and unable to choose between two of my usual favorites--40 garlic-clove chicken and chicken with 2 lemons--i have split the difference. i currently have in the oven a chicken stuffed with 20 cloves of garlic and one lemon.  oh yes, the chicken has been rubbed inside and out first with a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then with sea salt and black pepper.

i will accept nominations on further atrocities i can commit against this bird in about 15 minutes when i turn it over. hit me!

mongo

Mongo, how did it turn out?

[mongo_jones]

people,

i am doing something dangerous. inspired by this thread and unable to choose between two of my usual favorites--40 garlic-clove chicken and chicken with 2 lemons--i have split the difference. i currently have in the oven a chicken stuffed with 20 cloves of garlic and one lemon.  oh yes, the chicken has been rubbed inside and out first with a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar and then with sea salt and black pepper.

i will accept nominations on further atrocities i can commit against this bird in about 15 minutes when i turn it over. hit me!

mongo

Mongo, how did it turn out?

it was good but i think i have learned why the one recipe involves two lemons and the other 40 cloves of garlic. it was neither very garlicky nor very lemony--though this changed after i squeezed the cooked lemon all over it. the garlic didn't all soften or brown either--perhaps the lemon got in the way? i've saved some of the par-cooked cloves to experiment with further.

the stroke of genius though was rubbing the outside of the bird with balsamic vinegar (both before it went in and twice thereafter). the resulting color as well as a hint of balsamicky goodness on the finished bifd was very nice. i think my next roast bird will combine the balsamic (or other varieties) rub with rosemary and slivers of garlic tucked under the skin. i may leave the cavity alone.

we ate last night's bird with mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts and sauteed mushrooms. what are other peoples' recommendations/faves for roast chicken accompaniments?

[JPW]

we ate last night's bird with mashed potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts and sauteed mushrooms. what are other peoples' recommendations/faves for roast chicken accompaniments?

Risotto

Steamed Broccoli with a hint of balsamic

[evilcartman]

If it is to be my favorite/best roast chicken ever, mix some herbes de provence, fleur de sel (sea salt from the Camargue region of France), roasted garlic puree, fresh cracked pepper and some good olive oil, a squeeze or two of lemon or you can put the lemons inside or whatever...smear this paste under the skin and inside the cavity, and then slide some shaved truffles (be generous, this is not cost control cooking!! ) under the skin in different spots. Smear the rest of the paste on the bird. Now roast it... the perfume it will scent your house with will make you climb the walls. I usually roast it on some mirepoix, leave it large or it won't be carmelized it will be burnt. OOOh, then take that bad bird out when it's done. Move it to a sheet pan or other upside down to let the juices run into the breast. Drain some of the fat out of the roasting pan, leaving the juices and plaque. Heat the pan up on one or two burners...if it's big. When it starts to sizzle. Sift a little flour over it, and scrape it a little with a wooden spoon. Deglaze with some brandy or white wine or whatever...watch those eyebrows. Cook off alcohol, add some stock, simmer, reduce, strain. If your chicken has had sufficient time to rest, you can cut the breasts and quarters off the carcass and then hack the carcass up with a cleaver and throw that in you roasting pan sauce. Simmering it with the bones in it will give a more chicken-y flavor. Just don't cut into that joker too soon or the juices will all go bye bye. MMM chicken heaven.

[Mabelline]

Welcome to eGullet,evilcartman.Hope you enjoy this site.

Since this is a favorite chicken recipe site with a bunch of New Yorkers, let me ask this: Are any of you familiar with a live chicken poultry market that youall have? I've never heard it mentioned, but I saw it on that Cookin' in Brooklyn food show on tv today. You picked your live chicken, they liveweighed, took it to the back, and brought you back out a package of how you preferred it. If I lived there, I'd sure be using their services. Anyone?

[edsel]

Welcome to eGullet,evilcartman.Hope you enjoy this site.

Since this is a favorite chicken recipe site with a bunch of New Yorkers, let me ask this: Are any of you familiar with a live chicken poultry market that youall have? I've never heard it mentioned, but I saw it on that Cookin' in Brooklyn food show on tv today. You picked your live chicken, they liveweighed, took it to the back, and brought you back out a package  of how you preferred it. If I lived there, I'd sure be using their services. Anyone?

Mabelline, I'm not a New yorker, but I visit the city on business fairly frequently. A couple of months ago I was at a client site (a power plant in Astoria, Queens). There were some chickens rooting around in the bushes outside of the administration building. I half-jokingly asked if they were the plant's "mascots". I was told that they were escapees from a nearby live-chicken market. That was the first that I'd heard of such markets in urban U.S. settings.

I grew up in Indonesia and Brazil and I've traveled in other parts of the world, so the notion of markets stocking live chickens doesn't strike me as weird. I haven't seen such markets in too many places here though. The big asian market here in Cleveland stocks live fish in tanks....

I'm sure that there's been a thread discussing the live-chicken markets here on eGullet. I can't find it (probably using the wrong earch terms). As far as I can recall, there was some reference to the large Southeast Asian and Central American populations in the NYC area. Apparently they find our propensity to buy dead chickens shocking.

[fifi]

One favorite that I forgot to mention is the David Rosengarten technique of slathering the chicken with goose fat and salting it liberally.

I found this in The Fridge from his Q&A.

It really screams CHICKEN! It will probably be the first thing I try in my convection oven.

[Cookboy]

I like to wrap the whole bird in good Applewood bacon.

Use your favorite brining technique, s&p the cavity, stuff with your favorite herbs, onion, citrus, garlic cloves... whatever you like, insert the probe. I cook it for about 30 mins at 300 and check to see how the bacon is cooking. Remove the bacon before it gets too crunchy and finish cooking to 177ish. Use foil if the wings are getting too dark. Let it rest for 20 mins then dig in. Ya gotta love bacon!

[foodie3]

i butterfly it, give it a 48 hr spice (cinnamon/chili) rub and grill it outside. sometimes i grill it under bricks - ala polo al mattone.

[eskimoted]

Hi Edsel,

Ted, both of those sound awesome. For the boned-and-stuffed chicken, what kind of ground chicken meat do you use? White meat? Dark? Do you include any skin or fat in the grind?

I've roasted boned/stuffed turkey* before but I'm not sure how long to roast this chicken since the forcemeat stuffing will make it rather dense. This is sort of like a galantine, only roasted....

Re the stuffing - I stick in whatever I have lying around. Breast or dark, often I'll add in some bacon if I have the last stump of some in the fridge - this isn't exactly a recipe, just a concept. It definitely helps if you add some fat in, whether it's just some skin (duck skin is good if you have any lying around) or some pork fat chopped up is nice too. I typically chop the chicken rather than grind it, a slightly coarser thing works nicely.

Re timing, I just prod the thing with my finger and see when it firms up. When it feels done I'll stick a skewer in to see if the juices run clear.

[babka]

Back on topic: babka, for the zuni chicken, do you roast it as is after the setting up, or do you rinse it off?

sorry Mabelline--missed this.

as-is. after 24 hours, there's no salt left on the outside of the chicken anyway--the skin looks desicated, and the salt's migrated throughout the meat.

[Susan in FL]

i am partial to ma hazan's still life with chicken and 2 lemons

First reply the best, in my opinion, Marcella's lemon chicken can't be beat. I like it the most using Kosher chicken -- better, actually, than brining it myself.

I have two favorites:

1. Marcella Hazan's lemon chicken-- I usually add some sliced onions and chopped garlic to the stuffing, but I've made it just as she suggests and that version was excellent, too.

2. Joyce Goldstein's Pollo Arrosto all'Arancia, Limone, e Zenzero, Chicken Roasted with Orange, Lemon and Ginger from her book, Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen.

Nancy, is that you, from the old Prodigy board?!

One favorite that I forgot to mention is the David Rosengarten technique of slathering the chicken with goose fat and salting it liberally.

That sounds wonderful!

I love spatchcocked, too.

What to drink with roast chicken? I vote for Beaujolais.

[purplewiz]

Ainsley Harriott's "Superb Lemon Herb Chicken" from Gourmet Express 2. The cavity is stuffed with lemon, sage, and rosemary, butter and garlic is stuffed under the skin, and the bird is surrounded with roast potatoes.

I discovered this recipe after an ex-winemaker friend in Australia sent me this book with instructions to "make the chicken. Then make anything else, but Make The Chicken". He was right.

Marcia.