Roast Chicken With Lemongrass Butter Food

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON GRASS

Steps:

• If you are using fresh lemon grass, discard the outer leaves and upper half of the stalk. Cut into thin slices and chop fine. If you are using dried lemon grass, soak in warm water for 1 hour, then drain and chop fine. Place the lemon grass, garlic, shallots, chilies, sugar, salt, fish sauce and 2 tablespoons water in a blender and blend to a paste.
• Rinse the chicken well and pat dry. Carefully loosen the skin on the breast and legs, pushing your fingers between the skin and meat to form a pocket. Rub half of the lemon grass paste over the meat under the skin. Rub the remaining paste over the skin and inside the cavity. Tuck the wings underneath; tie the legs with twine. Let stand for 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees and continue roasting for 1 1/4 hours, basting the chicken with the vegetable oil and the pan juices. The chicken is done when it registers 180 to 185 degrees on an instant-reading meat thermometer. Let the chicken stand for 10 minutes. Serve with white rice and nuoc cham dipping sauce (see recipe).

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMONGRASS BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Mix the butter in a small bowl with the lemongrass paste and half the thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Ease your hand under the skin of the chicken at the neck opening and smear the herb butter under the skin. Place the garlic inside the cavity. Rub all over with the oil, season and place in a roasting tray.
• Roast the chicken in the centre of the oven for 1½ - 1¾ hours. To check that it is cooked, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a fine skewer. If the juices are pink or show traces of blood, cook the chicken for a further 10-15 minutes, then check again. If the juices are pale golden, the chicken is cooked.
• Remove from the oven, baste and scatter with the remaining thyme leaves. Cover tightly with foil and rest for 10 minutes.
• Carve and serve with a selection of baby vegetables.

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH LEMON BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a large skillet or roasting pan in the oven to preheat while you prepare the chicken.
• Begin by preparing a lemon butter. Place 4 tablespoons of the butter in a mixing bowl and add about 1 teaspoon of zest from the lemons. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
• Flatten the chicken by cutting out the backbone and flattening the breast by firmly pressing with the heel of your hand. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Using your fingers, loosely separate the skin from the breast and thighs. Smear the lemon butter evenly in the cavity between the skin and meat, ensuring it is worked evenly over the bird. With the skin side facing up, drizzle olive oil over the chicken.
• Remove the preheated pan from the oven and place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down.
• Place the lemon slices over the bird along with fennel, onions, garlic, thyme and oregano. As it cooks, this will flavor the bird.
• Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the chicken to skin-side up and add half the wine to the pan. Return to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the joint between the leg and thigh registers 165 degrees F, approximately 30 minutes longer. When the chicken is done, remove from the pan to a serving platter and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving and plating.
• Meanwhile, make a pan sauce. Place the chicken pan over medium-high heat and add the remaining butter and wine. Stir until the butter is melted and the sauce thickens slightly. Pour the pan sauce over the platter of chicken. Serve immediately.

LEMONGRASS WHOLE ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Remove 2 Tbsp of lemongrass and set aside in a small bowl. Combine the remaining lemongrass, shallot, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce, chili flakes and salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat, tucking some marinade underneath the skin. Pour any excess marinade into the bird cavity. Cover the chicken with plastic wrap, then marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. Bring the chicken to room temperature before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Put the chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Turn the bird over and roast until the chicken is cooked and nicely browned, about 20 to 30 minutes more. About 10 minutes before the chicken is done, combine the remaining 2 Tbsp lemongrass with the cilantro and oil. Brush the mixture on the bird, then continue to roast until it is done and the juices run clear. Let the chicken rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce and fried or steamed rice. (The pan juices are delicious on the rice).
• Sauce:.
• Place the garlic, chilies and sugar in a mortar and pound into a paste. (You can also chop the garlic and chilies by hand.) Transfer to a small bowl and add the soy sauce, lime juice and water. Stir until well blended. This sauce will keep up to 3 weeks if stored in the refrigerator in a tight-lidded jar.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450˚F.
• Rub the bird inside and out with salt and crushed peppercorns. Stuff a 1/2-tablespoon knob of butter under the skin of each side of the breast, and under the skin of each thigh. Stuff the thyme, bay leaf, and lemon wedges into the chicken's cavity.
• Use the tip of a paring knife to poke a small hole in the skin just below each of the chicken's legs, and tuck each leg carefully into that hole. (You may also truss the chicken with butcher's twine if you know how, but this is much simpler.)
• Place the chicken in a flame-proof roasting pan and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan, moving it to different parts of the oven to account for hot spots, and basting the bird two or three times with a bulb-top baster or long-handled metal spoon. Reduce the oven's heat to 300˚F and continue to roast, basting frequently, for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the bird is done: When you poke the fat part of the thigh with the paring knife, the juices should run clear.
• Remove the bird from the oven, let it rest 15 minutes, then remove the breasts and legs from the carcass, reserving everything. Use a ladle to skim off and discard as much surface fat from the pan juices as possible. Place the roasting pan on the stovetop over high heat and stir in the wine and lemon juice, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge and dissolve the browned bits. Bring this mixture to a boil and cook until it is reduced by half. Stir in the stock with the wooden spoon, bring to a boil, and reduce again by half. Remove from the heat and strain this sauce through a sieve into a medium, heavy-bottom saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, a tablespoon at a time, until the sauce is thick and glossy. Fold in the parsley and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as necessary.
• Serve the chicken-half of the breast plus a drumstick or a thigh per person-with the sauce ladled over, and any remaining sauce in a sauceboat on the table.

THAI LEMONGRASS ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a nonreactive dish large enough to hold the chicken, combine all but 2 Tbs. of the lemongrass with all of the shallots, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, red pepper flakes, salt, and sugar. Add the chicken and turn it to coat, tucking some of the marinade underneath its skin. Pour any excess marinade into the bird's cavity. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. Bring the chicken to room temperature before cooking it.
• Heat the oven to 350°F Put the chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan. Cook for 40 minute Turn the bird over and roast until the chicken is cooked and nicely browned, 20 to 30 minute The sugar in the marinade may cause the pan juices to burn, but this won't affect the chicken's flavor.
• About 10 minute before the chicken is done, combine the remaining 2 Tbs. lemongrass with the cilantro and vegetable oil. Using a spoon, rub the mixture on the bird, spreading it evenly; continue roasting. The chicken is done when its juices run clear. Let the chicken sit for 10 minute out of the oven before carving.