I am sitting in front of my computer trying to think of ways to describe this dish and so many thoughts come to mind. I feel like I am all over the place. The truth is, I am really excited to share this recipe with all of you.
I used to be intimidated when I saw a whole chicken at the market. I thought I needed some special expensive equipment to roast a chicken and then I feared that I would spend a lot of time prepping the chicken just to end up with an overcooked, dry, chicken on the table. Until...
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I was home one day with a cold, flipping through TV channels and I came across reruns of America's Test Kitchen. They introduced a technique that promises to yield a moist whole roasted chicken every time. I couldn't wait to try it. I grabbed my coat and went to the market, bought a whole chicken, followed their recipe and technique and since then, I've never used a different technique to make a whole roasted chicken.
The chicken comes out moist due mainly from the technique and less from the recipe. I've actually simplified their recipe but retained their technique and that seemed to result in more favorable comments from people who have tried my whole roasted chicken. The technique is very simple: leave a stainless steel skillet (or cast iron) in the oven while the oven in preheating, put the chicken on the skillet, keep the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes, turn off the oven and leave the chicken in the oven for another 30 minutes, remove the chicken and allow to rest for 20 minutes.
Try it. I promise, you won't be disappointed :)
Whole Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 450°F with stainless steel skillet inside.
Remove chicken giblets. Pat the chicken dry.
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and paprika. Set aside.
Rub chicken inside and outside with olive oil, then rub the spices inside and outside of the chicken.
Add butter to the hot skillet and put chicken, with breast side up, on the skillet. Put the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the chicken in the oven undisturbed for another 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven, pour the juices out of the cavity and let the chicken rest for 20 mins before carving. Spoon the juices in the pan over the carved chicken.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat oven to 450°F with stainless steel skillet inside.
Remove chicken giblets. Pat the chicken dry.
In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and paprika. Set aside.
Rub chicken inside and outside with olive oil, then rub the spices inside and outside of the chicken.
Add butter to the hot skillet and put chicken, with breast side up, on the skillet. Put the chicken in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the chicken in the oven undisturbed for another 30 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the oven, pour the juices out of the cavity and let the chicken rest for 20 mins before carving. Spoon the juices in the pan over the carved chicken.
