Thumbs up for Barefoot Contessa's Perfect Roast Chicken

foodfiend · #1 11-26-2003, 08:01 PM

I made this tonight, and it was wonderful. This time, I used a better quality chicken. What a difference. I also added more vegetables to the mix -- red peppers, more potatoes as well as carrots and onions. I also squeezed some lemon juice over the veg before roasting.
The surprise about a whole chicken is that it doesn't go as far as I thought it would. It goes for maybe 3 to 4 servings. I thought it be more, but maybe I'm expecting too much.

sharris315 · #2 11-26-2003, 10:08 PM

BC Perfect Roast Chicken is my absolute favorite! It smells divine! I always add more veggies, too. The leftovers (if you have any

)are great, too.

Shar

Canice · #3 11-27-2003, 12:17 AM

I've got to try this recipe - seems to return great results every time! It seems BC recipes are among the very most reliable around; BBers nearly always seem to get just what they expected.
Now if I could only learn how to carve a chicken!!

mobear · #4 11-27-2003, 05:23 AM

Foodfiend,

What type of chicken did you use both times? I want to make this, but am not sure of the type of chicken to buy since I have never roasted a whole chicken.

foodfiend · #5 11-27-2003, 07:58 AM

This time I used a grain-fed chicken from the supermarket. I had considered getting a free-range chicken, but the cost was too high.

mobear · #6 11-28-2003, 08:03 AM

Okay, thanks. I know the Contessa uses a local farmer as her source. But I am new to this area and am not sure where I can get chicken that fresh! I will just have to find better store/butcher.

HejazSunKat · #7 11-28-2003, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Canice
Now if I could only learn how to carve a chicken!!

LOL...sounds familiar! DH won't let me touch them, says I 'mutilate' them. This means I have to wait until he gets through with his 'baked potato preparation ritual' (which seems to go on for hours) before he takes up the knife and I can get my serving.

SweetTooth · #8 11-28-2003, 07:40 PM

Could someone please post this recipe? Sounds wonderful for Sunday dinner, esp since it has turned cool and snowy here in Indiana.

Thanks!

lonetree1353 · #9 11-28-2003, 08:10 PM

Sweet Tooth....here is the recipe.
* Exported from MasterCook *

Perfect Roast Chicken

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 roasting chicken -- (5 to 6 pound)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large bunch fresh thyme -- plus 20 sprigs
1 lemon -- halved
1 head garlic -- cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons butter -- (1/4 stick) melted
1 large yellow onion -- thickly sliced
4 carrots -- cut into 2-inch chunks
1 bulb fennel -- tops removed, and cut into wedges
Olive oil

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.

Source:
"Barefoot Contessa Cookbook page 130"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 825 Calories; 59g Fat (64.8% calories from fat); 59g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 259mg Cholesterol; 324mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 8 Lean Meat; 2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 7 Fat.

SweetTooth · #10 11-28-2003, 08:17 PM

Thanks for posting the recipe, Maureen, but I hve 1 question. How can the dietary information be correct? Where is the 800+ calories and the 50+ g of fat coming from?

thanks again!

lonetree1353 · #11 11-28-2003, 08:54 PM

I wondered the same thing when I put it into mastercook. Maybe someone else has it entered and can tell us what it should be.

HejazSunKat · #12 11-29-2003, 08:35 AM

I changed the description of the chicken to 'Chicken, whole' when I dumped it into Mastercook and that brought the calories per serving down to 617. Still sounds like a lot for a wholesome chicken dinner so I'm wondering if the servings are out of whack. It's been awhile since I've cooked a 5-6 pound bird (the only ones I can get over here are the size of cornish game hens!). I'd think you can get more than 4 servings out of that unless you've got some big eaters to feed.

oceanjasper · #13 02-11-2006, 10:50 PM

I made this recipe in my le creuset dutch oven for dinner tonight. I can honestly say that I have never had a more tender, juicy roasted chicken in my life! I couldn't find fennel, so it was excluded. I did add in some red potatoes, so that I had an entire meal in the pot. The only challenge was cramming the lemon, garlic and thyme into the cavity! I think my bird was around 3-4 pounds. I highly recommend this recipe!

Capucine · #14 02-12-2006, 08:50 AM

I started with Ina's recipe. Combined it with Emeril's. It is wonderful!!!

Lys · #15 02-12-2006, 11:32 AM

maybe the nutritional info is off due to the skin of the chicken? Or because there is no measurement on the olive oil??? It does seem REALLY high for calories and fat for a pretty straight forward, wholesome meal!!!

Schmee · #16 02-12-2006, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canice

Now if I could only learn how to carve a chicken!!

I found this link on
Food TV. DH saw Alton Brown carve a Turkey a couple of years ago and now he is the master carver. My mom and my aunt both make him do it every Thanksgiving!

Lrimerman · #17 02-12-2006, 12:36 PM

BC is our go to Roast Chicken recipe. I don't always have fennel, but boy does it up the taste even another notch. We frequently spread it with Penzey's Bicentennial Rub, boy is that good and gives everything a wonderful golden color.

Lisa

oceanjasper · #18 02-12-2006, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lrimerman

BC is our go to Roast Chicken recipe. I don't always have fennel, but boy does it up the taste even another notch.
Lisa

I'll definitely try and find fennel the next time I make it!

alicerh · #19 02-12-2006, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lys

maybe the nutritional info is off due to the skin of the chicken? Or because there is no measurement on the olive oil??? It does seem REALLY high for calories and fat for a pretty straight forward, wholesome meal!!!

There is a huge difference in the amount of fat depending on the quality of the chicken. When I used to use grocery store chicken ( Tyson type) there was so much fat all over the oven and the veggies were so coated with fat I wouldn't eat them. Using a good free range or organic chicken is totally different. I usually either use an organic one from Fresh Market or one from Wild Oats. There is a fraction of the fat with these. Also, I think the only way you can cook it 1 1/2 hours at 425 is with a 5-6 lb bird as she uses. A smaller one will be too dry if cooked that long. I can speak from experience, roast chicken is one of my very favorite foods!

Sami · #20 02-12-2006, 01:04 PM

That's the chicken recipe i have been using for years. I love Ina's recipes. She cooks like I do, and when I watch her, I get presentation tips. I use kosher chickens for this recipe and leave out the salt. Absolutely delicious.

Sami

oceanjasper · #21 02-12-2006, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alicerh

Also, I think the only way you can cook it 1 1/2 hours at 425 is with a 5-6 lb bird as she uses. A smaller one will be too dry if cooked that long. I can speak from experience, roast chicken is one of my very favorite foods!

The chicken I cooked yesterday was probably around 3.5 - 4 pounds (came in a package of 2 birds at a total weight of 3.34 kilos or almost 7.5 pounds). I cooked it at 425 for at least 1 hour and 20 minutes and it was totally juicy and tender. Maybe it was the pot.

funniegrrl · #22 02-12-2006, 05:32 PM

The calories are so high because she's dividing a 5- or 6-lb bird into just 4 servings, in addition to the fat/skin issue. If you are eating a more reasonable 3 to 4 oz of meat rather than an entire chicken quarter (on a large bird, at that_, you'll get at LEAST 6 servings. I usually cook 4-lb chickens and get about 6 servings from that, so I imagine I'd get 8 or so from a 6-lber.

sfarler · #23 02-13-2006, 12:32 PM

I agree that this is delicious. I just made Ina's roast chicken again last Friday and am looking forward to making a chicken pot pie with the leftovers.
I use the leftover cooked onions, fennel and carrots chopped in my pot pie along with a few peas. Simply delicious.

TaraML · #24 02-13-2006, 03:37 PM

I love roasted chicken. Thanks for this recipe.

bobmark226 · #25 02-13-2006, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HejazSunKat

Still sounds like a lot for a wholesome chicken dinner so I'm wondering if the servings are out of whack. It's been awhile since I've cooked a 5-6 pound bird (the only ones I can get over here are the size of cornish game hens!).

No, the servings are not out of whack. They're Ina sized.

Seriously (couldn't resist), Linda, without giving out too much information than you're comfortable with, where are you now? Except maybe for extreme rural areas, I'm shocked to hear about the inability to get a good, fat roasting hen. I know I'm used to NYC, but even with the markets up here, I can get some very plump birds. A seven pound roaster provides an awful lot of leftovers for me, obviously, but even for a couple or a one child family, and enough left over for enchiladas, too.

About roast chicken, though: there is no such thing as a bad one. For all the cooking I do, for all the elaborate recipes or exotic ingredients, every single time I make one, even on a simple vertical roaster, I inevitably think "this is the best thing I've ever eaten."

Bob

ADM · #26 02-13-2006, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobmark226

No, the servings are not out of whack. They're Ina sized.

I'm shocked to hear about the inability to get a good, fat roasting hen. I know I'm used to NYC, but even with the markets up here, I can get some very plump birds. A seven pound roaster provides an awful lot of leftovers for me, obviously, but even for a couple or a one child family, and enough left over for enchiladas, too. Bob

Bob, Don't be shocked! I live in a what YOU would consider a rural area (but not extreme). You should remember that all grocery stores must stock the items they sell best. "Good fat roasting hens" are not too much admired by customers in my area. Much to my disgust, neither is crusty bread! It is all: soft, soft, soft. I usually make my own, or I must pay premium prices, after driving nearly 100 miles.

ChefElise · #27 02-17-2006, 12:56 PM

I'm hoping that someone will be able to help me with this. I'm planning to make this recipe tonight, but I couldn't find a 5-6 pound chicken so I got two that are a little over 3 pounds each. I think the general rule for roast chicken is about 20 minutes per pound. If I'm roasting two chickens at once, should I adjust the temperature and baking time in some way? I'm just wondering if that affects the overall temperature of the oven. If anyone has any advice, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!

TieKitty · #28 10-15-2009, 09:15 AM

I'm bumping this waaaay up to say that I made this for dinner last night. I couldn't find fennel so I quartered some red potatoes in it's place. I'm not sure I would like it anyway if it really tastes like licorice.

I thought it was a great recipe, but DH didn't say anything about it....until this morning. He called specifically to tell me what a great dinner we had last night and would I please put this roast chicken into our normal rotation. WOW! That started my day off wonderfully.

This is the moistest roast chicken I have ever attempted. Next time I will probably add more veggies. They were great, too.

peachesncream · #29 10-15-2009, 10:24 AM

I have a question or two for those of you who've tried Ina's recipe.

I'm used to roasting chicken at 375, and I loosely tent the breast with foil for some of the cooking time. This makes for a well-browned and juicy bird.

If I bump up the temperature to 425, won't I have a burnt chicken, and an oven that's a mess (with splattered grease)?

TieKitty · #30 10-15-2009, 10:33 AM

I had the same question, but decided to try it anyway.

There may be a few extra spatters on the walls, but not bad at all. The skin was a dark brown and very crispy. It didn't burn, probably because it's a shorter cooking time....1 1/2 hours instead of 2 - 2 1/2 hours. It didn't need to be tented, although I was tempted. I had decided to roast it exactly as called for in the recipe. The chicken itself was very moist, not dry like my usual roast chicken.

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