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Crispy skinned roast chicken
Yes, I know. That title was very provocative, but it got your
attention, didn’t it?! I can go either way, bondage birdy or spread
eagle.
My rule of thumb is if I am serving the chicken whole, and carving
at the table, then I truss it up like a Mr. Slave from “South Park.”
But my usual way of roasting a chicken is to let it be free, spread
eagle style.
I was taught in culinary school that you truss the bird so it cooks
evenly, but in reality a chicken will cook evenly whether it is tied or
not. It’s really about the look. A trussed bird looks neater and more
professional. Of course, I think my chicken looks delicious, but it
would look really good with the legs neatly crossed and a bunch of
fresh herbs as garnish.
What I prefer to do with my roast chicken is to cut it into 8 pieces
after cooking, and return it to the pan it was roasted in along with
all the tasty juices. This keeps the chicken very moist, and flavorful.
The best thing about roasting a chicken is that you can season it
any way you want. The key is to make a spice or herb rub using a
flavorful fat, such as butter or olive oil. This insures you get
crispy skin when the chicken is roasted. Be creative or use spice
mixes such as curry, poultry seasoning, herbes de provence, or any of
the other herb and spice mixes to be found at your local supermarket or
online spice retailer.
The only rules you need to know for roasting a chicken are:
- Rinse – rinse and dry your chicken well
- Rub – rub the inside and outside of your chicken with your spice mix
- Roast – always roast a chicken in 400 degree F oven
Chicken and spices
Roast Chicken 101
1 medium sweet onion, sliced
1 TB olive oil
1 tsp + 2 TB poultry seasoning
1 tsp Kosher salt
3 lb whole chicken, preferably organic or free range
Heat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place sliced onions into roasting pan, then sprinkle with 1 tsp poultry seasoning.
Sliced onions and spices
In small bowl mix olive oil, remaining poultry seasoning, and salt.
Rub the chicken inside and out with the spice mix. Put the chicken
onto the onions in the roasting pan, then place the pan into the oven.
Spiced rubbed chicken
Roast the chicken for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run
clear and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. The chicken
should be nicely browned and the skin crispy.
Remove the chicken from the pan, and let rest for about 15 minutes
on a cutting board. Cut the chicken into 8 pieces (you get 8 pieces
when you cut the breast in half) and return the chicken to the roasting
pan with the onions and juices.
I suggest serving this chicken with rice, polenta or mashed potatoes to soak up the lovely pan juices.
Crispy skinned roast chicken
