Thursday 17 November 2011

Simply Roasted Chicken

What’s the big deal, why aren’t more people roasting whole chickens? It’s simply the most economical way to get value for your money when it comes to the chicken. It is also in my opinion the most delicious way to prepare a chicken. It not only provides a wonderful meal, it can provide delicious leftovers for sandwiches, soups, curries...etc. It’s so simple, you just put it in the oven and forget about it, and clean-up is a breeze. My chicken was a small one about 1kg (2lb) to feed just my husband and I but get one big enough to feed your family. And I’ll explain cooking time later.

Ingredients:
1 chicken (I highly recommend you spend the extra money for free range or organic)
1 whole onion
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt + Pepper
2 tsp. dried rosemary (optional)

To start:

Cut the onion in half and peel it.
First things first, cut off the ankles of the chicken, or the part directly below the drum stick, some chickens might come with it already removed or sometimes you can ask your butcher to remove it.
Next wash him under cold water just to get any bits of feathers off.
Place him in your oven safe dish, (this is where you get dirty) drizzle the oil on his skin, and massage the oil into every nook and cranny , this will ensure a crispy skin crust.
Next put the onion inside the cavity.
Season with salt and pepper and rosemary.

To Cook:

Heat an oven to 220C or about 425F, place him inside for about 20 minutes until you see the skin nicely browned.
Turn the oven down to 180C or 350F, for another 45-1hr. Depending on the size, watch the browning on the chicken, if it gets too brown turn down the temperature and slowly roast it until all the juices run clean.
You’ll want to let this rest for a few minutes before carving. Enjoy!

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