Best roast chicken recipe

[art]

I would like to brine & roast a chicken for 6 people next week. Does anyone have an amazing fall off the bone recipe? Any ideas as to how you roast it, plus any great sides to go with it would be appreciated.

Thank you!

[Canice]

Hey, Art. I know there have been a bunch of threads on this very topic in the past, but I finally decided that the best roast chicken is spatchcocked; cooks faster and more evenly and is easier to carve, although it doesn't have the beauty of a regular whole chicken. I don't know how I'd get more than four servings out of one, though.

[Shugness]

Just finished having this one: http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=141

It was one of the best ones I've made. I made a "Oven Beer Can Chicken" a few weeks ago that was good too.

[foodie18]

Hey, Art. I know there have been a bunch of threads on this very topic in the past, but I finally decided that the best roast chicken is spatchcocked; cooks faster and more evenly and is easier to carve, although it doesn't have the beauty of a regular whole chicken. I don't know how I'd get more than four servings out of one, though.

Spatchcooked?

Shugness, the link didn't work for me.

[Robyn1007]

Spatchcooked?

No. Spatchcocked. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGKLtbiUflk

[vbak]

Spatchcocked, not spatchcooked. I love that word! I like to use this method in the summer on the grill.

[foodie18]

Thanks Robyn! I learned something today!

It cracked me up that his family (presumably) was making all this noise in the background. I kept waiting for him to say "Hey! Keep it down! I'm making a You Tube video over here!" lol.

[Canice]

I know! I noticed that, too. I think that's the video I watched when I first tried the method. I'd heard of butterflying, of course, but I think I saw AB "spatchcock" game hens once, and decided to try it, so looked it up online. I love game hens, but they're so small and awkward to try to carve whole. Then I started cooking chicken that way. I guess it's traditional for the grill, but also a nice alternative to roasting a whole chicken in the oven.
I like to make a compound butter with tarragon and Dijon mustard and rub it under the skin and then just rub the top with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper.

Dang, now I'm craving roast chicken!

[HealthyinMN]

Hey, Art. I know there have been a bunch of threads on this very topic in the past, but I finally decided that the best roast chicken is spatchcocked; cooks faster and more evenly and is easier to carve, although it doesn't have the beauty of a regular whole chicken. I don't know how I'd get more than four servings out of one, though.

Tried this recently after Canice posted about it ages ago - loved the results!

[Shugness]

My bad....http://community.cookinglight.com/sh...d.php?t=141438

[charley]

You'd probably need a large roaster to get 6 servings.

I roast the bird whole ... 14 minutes per pound at 425 degrees. Typically make a compound butter with lemon zest and fresh thyme that I rub under the breast skin.

How fast does a spatchcocked bird cook in the oven?

[Canice]

You'd probably need a large roaster to get 6 servings.

I roast the bird whole ... 14 minutes per pound at 425 degrees. Typically make a compound butter with lemon zest and fresh thyme that I rub under the breast skin.

How fast does a spatchcocked bird cook in the oven?

My mom didn't like turkey so she used to order a capon for Thanksgiving; that's a good solution.

Sorry, I don't recall the time difference between roasting the bird whole and spatchcocked since it's a while since I've done either. I guess it's because you're not spending time first heating the cavity that it goes faster?

[art]

Wow this Chili-roasted chicken sounds very good. I would not have thought to use chili powder on chicken. I will defininetly have to give this a try.

Thanks for the idea!

[art]

I have not heard of a spatchcock chicken. Is it like butterflying it before cooking? Can I do this with a large enough chicken to feed 6 people? I will look into this one. Does it stay juicy?

[art]

Wow, I just watched the you tube video. I can see that it would make it easier if you were using the grill. Does it work well in the oven?

[amyvn]

We've had a lot of house guests lately, so I've been roasting more chicken. The technique I've settled on is this one from Cooking Light. With my oven set on convection, they've been coming out beautifully. Since the roasters I've been getting have been closer to 5 pounds, I leave them in at 350 for an hour before turning the temperature up.

Amy

[Canice]

I have not heard of a spatchcock chicken. Is it like butterflying it before cooking? Can I do this with a large enough chicken to feed 6 people? I will look into this one. Does it stay juicy?

I assume the words are interchangeable. I'd always heard of butterflying in terms of leg of lamb or prawns, so I guess I glommed on to "spatchcock" for poultry because that's where I encountered it. The technique should be exactly the same whatever the size of the bird. It definitely stays juicy.

Wow, I just watched the you tube video. I can see that it would make it easier if you were using the grill. Does it work well in the oven?

I've never grilled chicken (or anything) in my life so can vouch for the method for roasting. I use my grill pan and line the bottom with foil for easier clean up.

[Canice]

Oh, and I like to prepare lots of sides with roast chicken, so a couple of them have to be able to hang out in the oven without any attention: I like balsamic glazed shallots and also roasted baby carrots tossed with minced parsley when done (actual baby carrots, not the bagged ones).

[charley]

A whole bird stays juicy too. I think the key is the higher heat.

Canice, I love balsamic caramelized shallots! Have you ever tried this recipe? Great combination of flavors!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...hallots-240411

[art]

convection oven! Boy are you lucky! Sorry, mine is just average oven. Maybe some day!

I am going to look into your ideas for sides. I love carrots and asparagus. Can I roast these with the chicken?

[charley]

reported

[Canice]

A whole bird stays juicy too. I think the key is the higher heat.

Canice, I love balsamic caramelized shallots! Have you ever tried this recipe? Great combination of flavors!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...hallots-240411

No, that one's new to me - but I love Brussels sprouts! Another great recipe for roast chicken (that reminded me) is this one, from BA a couple of years back, for carrots and Brussels sprouts:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...Sprouts-241514

[vbak]

I don't know if this is the best roast chicken, but it is certainly delicious.

. The sauce from the onions and the drippings from the chicken are fabulous over the croutons. From Ina Garten- Barefoot in Paris. Here ya go.

Lemon Chicken with Croutons

Copyright 2004, Barefoot in Paris, All Rights Reserved

Prep Time:
20 min
Inactive Prep Time:
15 min
Cook Time:
1 hr 30 min



Serves:
3 to 4 servings

Ingredients

1 (4 to 5-pound) roasting chicken
1 large yellow onion, sliced
Good olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 lemons, quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
6 cups (3/4-inch) bread cubes (1 baguette or round boule)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Take the giblets out of the chicken and wash it inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers. Toss the onion with a little olive oil in a small roasting pan. Place the chicken on top and sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt and pepper. Place the lemons inside the chicken. Pat the outside of the chicken dry with paper towels, brush it with the melted butter, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken.

Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Cover with foil and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. (The onions may burn, but the flavor is good.)

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until very hot. Lower the heat to medium-low and saute the bread cubes, tossing frequently, until nicely browned, 8 to

10 minutes. Add more olive oil, as needed, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place the croutons on a serving platter. Slice the chicken and place it, plus all the pan juices, over the croutons. Sprinkle with salt and serve warm.
Copyright 2012 Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved