Roasted Chickens Two Ways Food

TWO WHOLE ROASTED CHICKENS + CHICKEN GRAVY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425˚F with a rack in the lower third of the oven (you want the whole chicken to be in the center of the oven).
• Line a large roasting pan with onion slices, drizzle with olive oil.
• Remove giblets from chickens and pat dry inside and outside with paper towels. Season inside each chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper then stuff each with 2 lemon quarters, 1/2 of garlic head and 2 sprigs rosemary.
• Place chicken over the onions breast-side-up. Tie legs together and tuck the wings under the chicken so they don't scorch.
• Melt butter and brush top and sides of chicken and immediately season each chicken with 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Butter and season chickens one at a time so the butter doesn't solidify making it difficult for seasoning to stick.
• Bake at 425˚F for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the size of your chicken or until the internal temperature at the deepest part of the thigh reaches 165˚F, and juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh.* Rest chicken for 15 minutes after it comes out of the oven before slicing and serving.
• Strain pan drippings through a fine sieve and discard the solids. The drippings sit for a minute and you'll notice the fat will float to the top. Spoon off 4 Tbsp of fat and add that to a small saucepan. Skim off and discard any remaining excess fat on your drippings.
• Place the saucepan with fat over medium heat then add 2 Tbsp flour and whisk to combine. Continue whisking for 1-2 minutes until lightly golden. Add 1 cup of pan drippings and whisk until thickened and bubbling. Add water or milk to desired taste and consistency. I added about 1/2 cup milk. Bring back to a simmer, whisking constantly then remove from heat.

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.

ROAST CHICKEN TIMES TWO

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pat the chickens dry with paper towels. Season the cavities with salt and pepper. In a large bowl combine the onion, lemon, garlic, 1 bunch thyme, bay leaves, and 3 tablespoons olive oil; season it with salt and pepper and mix it well. Stuff each bird with half the mixture. Using 2 (3-foot) pieces of kitchen twine, tie up each chicken: Tuck the wing tips between the wings and the body. Put the mid point of the twine under the chicken, bring the ends up and around the wings, and pull them tight against the body. Bring the ends of the twine up underneath the legs, wrap the string around them, pull the legs together, and tie them tightly. Place the chickens breast side up in a roasting pan, drizzle over some olive oil, and season them with salt and pepper. Toss the mushrooms around the chicken, scatter over the remaining thyme, drizzle over some more olive oil and season everything with salt and pepper. Roast the chickens for 1 to 1 1/2 hours; baste them with the pan juices every 20 minutes. The chicken is done when a thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs should wiggle easily in their sockets.) Remove the chickens from the pan, cover them with foil, and let them stand for 10 minutes to rest. Serve 1 chicken with the roasted mushrooms and pan juices. Refrigerate the other chicken for another meal.

CRISPY CHICKEN 2 WAYS

Steps:

• Using a pair of metal kitchen tongs or a fork, hold the pepper over the flame of a gas burner until well charred, turning occasionally. Alternatively, char the pepper under your broiler set to high, turning occasionally until charred. Transfer to a small bowl and cover with plastic or a plate to seal in the steam and set aside.
• Tear the bread into small pieces and roughly chop the garlic. Add both to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until the mixture is finely ground into breadcrumbs. Add the olive oil, season with salt and pepper and pulse to combine.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the breadcrumb mixture. Toast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a shallow dish and spread into a thin layer to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, peel the charred skin off of the pepper, finely dice and add it to a small bowl along with the crumbled feta. Mix well to combine and set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and set out two baking sheets.
• Prepare the chicken by removing the tender from each and slicing two of the breasts into four or five long pieces that are about the same size as the tenders. Slice a pocket into the side of the two remaining chicken breasts and stuff each with the pepper and feta mixture.
• Scatter the flour into a shallow dish. Season with salt. Beat the mayonnaise and eggs together in a separate shallow dish. Set up a breading station with the flour, egg mixture and toasted breadcrumbs. Dredge the tenders by coating in flour, dipping in the egg and finally pressing into the breadcrumbs to coat. Continue with the rest of the tenders, placing the coated pieces onto one of the baking sheets, leaving space between each. Coat the stuffed chicken breasts as you did the tenders, being careful not to let any of the stuffing fall out, and place onto the second baking sheet.
• Place both the tenders and the stuffed chicken breasts into the oven, placing the stuffed breasts onto the lower shelf if needed for space. Bake until cooked through to 165 degrees F (75 degrees C), 20 to 25 minutes for the tenders and 25 to 30 minutes for the stuffed breasts. Allow the chicken to rest for 3 to 5 minutes.

DOUBLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange about half of each of the vegetables in a 12-by-18-inch roasting pan. Place chickens over vegetables in pan; sprinkle cavities with salt and pepper. Fill each cavity with onion, lemon, and thyme. Tie legs together with kitchen twine. Arrange remaining vegetables around chickens.
• Spread butter over chickens; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until the skin is deep golden and crisp and the juices run clear when the skin is pierced, tossing the vegetables occasionally as they cook, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the breast should read 180 degrees. Remove from oven, and serve.