Classic Roast Chicken Food

CLASSIC ROAST CHICKEN & GRAVY

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Have a shelf ready in the middle of the oven without any shelves above it.
• Scatter 1 roughly chopped onion and 2 roughly chopped carrots over the base of a roasting tin that fits the whole 1 ½ kg chicken, but doesn't swamp it.
• Season the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, then stuff with 2 lemon halves and a small bunch of thyme, if using.
• Sit the chicken on the vegetables, smother the breast and legs all over with 25g softened butter, then season the outside with salt and pepper.
• Place in the oven and leave, undisturbed, for 1 hr 20 mins - this will give you a perfectly roasted chicken. To check, pierce the thigh with a skewer and the juices should run clear.
• Carefully remove the tin from the oven and, using a pair of tongs, lift the chicken to a dish or board to rest for 15-20 mins. As you lift the dish, let any juices from the chicken pour out of the cavity into the roasting tin.
• While the chicken is resting, make the gravy. Place the roasting tin over a low flame, then stir in 1 tbsp flour and sizzle until you have a light brown, sandy paste.
• Gradually pour in 250ml chicken stock, stirring all the time, until you have a thickened sauce.
• Simmer for 2 mins, using a wooden spoon to stir, scraping any sticky bits from the tin.
• Strain the gravy into a small saucepan, then simmer and season to taste. When you carve the bird, add any extra juices to the gravy.

CLASSIC ROAST CHICKEN WITH BREAD AND BUTTER STUFFING

Steps:

• 1. Cut or tear the bread into one-centimetre cubes or chunks. Fry the finely chopped onions in half the butter until softened. Melt the remaining butter in the frying pan. Mix melted butter and onion through the bread, add salt and herbs. Moisten the stuffing with the milk until it comes together into a mass. 2. Heat oven to 190C. Stuff the chicken with the stuffing and tie the legs and parson's nose together with kitchen string. Place the pan trivet, lemon and vegetables in the base of a roasting tray and lay the chicken on top, breast side up. Pour half a cup of water into the base of the tray. 3. Spread the skin of the chicken with a little extra butter and season well with salt. Roast the chicken for 75 minutes or until the skin is golden-brown, and then rest for another 15 minutes in a warm, draught-free place. Serve the chicken with the stuffing and a crisp green salad.

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
• Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

CLASSIC ROAST CHICKEN AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Remove giblets and neck, if present, from chicken; rinse chicken inside and out; pat dry with paper towels.
• Place onion and garlic in cavity; squeeze juice from lemon and set aside; add lemon to cavity.
• Tie legs together with kitchen string; tuck wings under back; brush all over with oil; sprinkle with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; place, breast side up, on rack in roasting pan; roast, uncovered; in 325F (160C) oven for 1 ½ hours.
• Roast, basting occasionally with pan juices, until juices run clear when thigh is pierced and meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 185F (85C), about 1 ½ hours; transfer chicken to platter and tent with foil; let stand for 10 minutes before carving.
• Skim fat from pan juices; sprinkle flour over juices; cook over medium-high heat, whisking, for 1 minute; gradually pour in chicken stock and reserved lemon juice, whisking until smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes; pour into warmed gravy boat.
• Cut string holding legs together; discard onion, lemon and garlic; using kitchen scissors, cut chicken into 2 breast and 2 leg portions; cut each breast in half diagonally; cut through each leg at joint to separate into drumsticks and thighs; serve with gravy.

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
• Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180 degrees and the thigh 190 degrees.
• Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve, and serve gravy on the side.

CLASSIC ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°; rub the chicken with the butter; season it with salt and pepper.
• Five minutes before turning on the oven, place a cast-iron skillet on an oven rack set low in the oven.
• When the oven is hot, about 10 minutes later, carefully place the chicken, breast side up, in the hot skillet.
• Roast, undisturbed, for 30-40 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted in the meaty party of the thigh reads 155°.
• Remove from the oven, let rest 3-5 minutes, then carve and serve.

POULET ROTI (ROAST CHICKEN FRENCH-STYLE)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. If you're going to add the herbs on top: remove the leaves from the thyme, rosemary and sage. Use a sharp knife to mince these herbs into fine pieces. Use your knife to mince the garlic clove as well before combining the minced garlic and minced herbs together. Temporarily set aside next to your cut up lemon quarters. If you're using whole herbs, simple preheat your oven and skip the rest of this step.
• Rinse and remove any giblets from the inside of the chicken. Thoroughly pat dry the chicken using paper towels.
• Drizzle olive oil over (or melted butter) over the chicken, using your hand to rub the oil all over the surface of the chicken (including its wings and legs). Flip the chicken over and repeat on the backside.
• Sprinkle 3/4 salt tsp all over the breast side of the chicken, including its wings and legs. Then sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt into the inside cavity of the chicken, before flipping the chicken over and sprinkling another 1/2 tsp of salt all over the backside of the chicken.
• Grind some fresh ground pepper over the backside of the chicken, then flip it over and grind some pepper over the breast side.
• Gently stuff the inside cavity of the chicken with the lemon quarters. If using minced herbs, cover the breast side (including legs and wings) of the chicken with the herb/garlic mixture. If using whole herbs, simply place the herbs and garlic clove in the inside cavity of the chicken as well. If you're stuffing the chicken with herbs, you can use twine to tie the chicken legs together to keep the cavity shut (optional).
• Grab a 9" by 11" baking dish and slightly grease the bottom of the dish with some oil or butter. Place the chicken into the dish (breast-side facing up), and place in the oven to bake.
• Bake the chicken for 1 hour and 30 minutes at 375°F or until a food thermometer reads 165°F when inserted in the thigh area and breast area. Loosely cover the chicken with a sheet of foil and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.