The Lazy Way to Roast a Chicken
Forget kitchen twine (who has that on hand?) and pacing around in expectant circles, basting and changing the oven temperature. This is the lazy way to roast a chicken.
All you'll need is a 3-4 pound whole fryer-broiler chicken, a cake pan to squeeze it into, and an hour and half to sit around while the chicken sizzles away in the oven and makes your entire apartment smell great. This technique has never failed me in yielding super-juicy chicken.
| A little chicken this size will make skimpy-ish servings for four, but I think it's best shared between you and a friend on a Sunday night with plenty of leftovers to use during the week in chicken quesadillas with chipotle-sour cream, late night chicken sandwiches with tons of mayonnaise, or a spicy chicken corn chowder. I mention two tools in this episode that are by no means necessary (I have neither but could probably use both), but certainly make things a little easier. An oven thermometer is helpful in ancient and sometimes unreliable rental apartment ovens. The thermometer hangs right on the rack in your oven, letting you know how hot it actually is inside, no matter what the exterior dial might claim. Clearing up that discrepancy sooner rather than later can save you a lot of heartache, particularly when you're baking. | |
| The other tool I mention is a meat thermometer. It looks kind of like a needle with a dial at the end, and you can stick it right into your chicken (or leg of lamb or steak or whatever) to find out if it's done. It's a cool tool to have since it saves you from wrecking the presentation of your dish by cutting into it before it gets to the table. Since, however, we opted not to tie our chicken's legs together and left them splayed open in a rather unladylike manner, presentation might not be our highest priority at this juncture. All the same, each time you plunge a fork or knife into your chicken, you're releasing juices that really ought to stay inside to keep things, well, juicy. |
Comments
amazing and delicious
Posted by: p to the bg | January 22, 2006 10:15 PM
Sarah! I love your project! I have been thinking about a similar blog theme, but there is no way I could match the hip Sarah style and wit. I can't wait to read and watch more. -Beth
Posted by: Beth | January 22, 2006 11:13 PM
que inspiring - i've cooked chicken twice since this was posted - neither time whole, but nevertheless the first and second time i've cooked meat in years. years!
Posted by: megan | February 1, 2006 3:05 PM
Roast chicken. Truly one of the great things in life.
I've eaten at some good restaurants in the city. But do I remember what I ate, for example, at Bouley? Not at all. Daniel? Maybe one course out of six.
What I do remember is the roast chicken I had at the French Roast uptown on Broadway. It was a cold night, and I needed some homestyle love on a plate. That was it. Nothing fancy, just right.
Posted by: The American Geordie | February 2, 2006 11:54 PM
This is a fantastic project! Thanks for doing it. I just tried your chicked method and it is the first time my roasted chicked has been PERFECT! By the way, for larger chickens (mine was 7 lbs) the timing is 30 minutes per pound.
I'll be here often.
Posted by: Genevieve | February 6, 2006 7:35 AM
Great recipe for chicken! But remember to wash your hands after you've handled raw chicken and before you touch anything else in your kitchen. For a change of flavor, cut a lemon into quarters and stick it inside the chicken with a generous sprinkling of dried tarragon and a knob of butter. Bon appetit!
P.S. I love your videos!!!
Posted by: Ann | February 6, 2006 8:51 AM
Sara you are too much...in a great way. I've migrated back east. Let's roast things together. Or at least sip something frothy. If nothing else, lets gush about doing one of the above.
Posted by: Elizabeth | February 6, 2006 8:36 PM
hi, just randomly found your site and i love the concept. i don't want my chicken to be pink - i want perfection. i have the same herbs (from whole foods!) + i'm going to try this out.
thanks again!
L
Posted by: lauren | March 26, 2006 4:48 PM
I love this cute instructional video!
Posted by: Deborah | July 6, 2007 9:30 PM