Roast Chicken

My friend Joel once told me that everyone needs to know how to cook a whole chicken. Joel is a smart guy so I took his words to heart. Turns out roasting a whole bird isn't as hard as I thought. I've tried several methods over the years, but this is still my favorite.

Pick your chicken

Get a roasting chicken. I prefer getting one with all the inside bits removed. I have no use for a chicken neck and never will. Aim for about 2 pounds a person, and remember that the bigger the bird, the longer the cooking time.

Special Equipment

Probe thermometer - if you don't have a meat thermometer yet, now is the time to get one. Invest in the leave in kind that just beeps at you when the bird has reached desired temperature.

Roasting pan with a rack - it's just easier if you have a pan with a rack.

Carving and boning knives - Learning to carve a whole chicken can be tricky. But with practice and the right knives, it's no big deal at all. Make your life easier and get the right knives. Yes, you do need a boning knife and a carving set.

Brining bags - giant ziploc type bags that are super sturdy. If you're going to brine, you need these bags.

Brine and Bird prep

I love brining birds! I do it for turkeys as well as chickens. It's pretty much the guaranteed way to end up with a juicy chicken. You can buy a premixed brine or make your own.

1. Boil whatever your brine mixture you use. I let it go until it reduces about half an inch to an inch down the side of the pot.
2. Let it completely cool! Put the pan in a bath of cold water and ice if you're in a hurry. You don't want warm brine water partially cooking your bird. 
3. Rinse your bird off. Pull anything out of the cavity (warning, the neck or guts might be in there) and rinse out the inside of the bird too.
4. Put bird in brine bag. Put bird/bag combo into a large container (I just use the roasting pan). Carefully pour the brine mixture into the bag. Go slow, and use a measuring cup with a pour spout if it's easier. Fill up the bag until the bird is covered. If you run out of brine mix, just add plain old cold water (or even cider) until it's covered. 
5. Seal the bag. Put the whole thing in the fridge for a minimum of 6 to 8 hours (I just do it overnight).
6. When you're ready to cook, take the bird out of the brine. Get rid of the brine. Rinse the bird again, very very thoroughly.

Cook the Bird

1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Stuff the bird with peeled and smashed garlic cloves, quartered white or yellow onions, and lemon halves. Then throw a hand full of spices into the cavity (usually same blend used in the brine, no salt tho). 
3. Then butter the entire outside of the bird. I use a softened butter mixed with the same herbs I used previously. Just rub the chicken down with the butter-herb mixture. I even pull up the skin a bit and stick some butter under there. 
4. Put that sucker in the oven for a half hour. This is when your skin is gonna get nice and golden. I put it in upside down. 
5. After the first half hour, turn it over, and let it cook the rest of the way. 
6. Chicken is done when it's no longer pink- 165 degrees minimum. This will usually take nearly 2 hours for a 4 pound chicken. Use a meat thermometer to be safe. Cooking time depends entirely on weight of the bird!

If you don't have a rack in your roasting pan, you'll want to make sure there is at least a little bit of liquid in the bottom of the pan. Or you can do a layer of potatoes and onions and other veggies, then set the chicken on top of that.

If you brine your chicken, you shouldn't have to baste it or anything. Unless you want to. And you definitely won't have to salt it. Sometimes I toss a little white wine over it, just for fun.

If the bird gets too brown on the outside but still isn't done on the inside, make a tin foil tent- that will save it from burning the skin.