Here are some simple tips and ingredients I always use in order to have a great and easy juicy chicken.. Remember these are my favorites but you can always alter with what you have in your fridge.. No need to constantly buy new ingredients to cook a wonderful supper, those are main ingredients you should have by your side.
Before starting, always rinse your chicken with cold water, salt and lemon. Rub the salt and lemon inside out and in the cavity then rinse with cold water. Dab with paper towel in order for your marinade to stick to your chicken and get crispy.
Set aside and prep all your ingredients, cause once you start... you'll get filthy dirty and won't be able to grab anything around! don't forget.. the best tools are your hands so get in there!
Items to prepare:
Set oven at 425f
Deep Roster Pan no lid
Basting brush
Garlic press
Small saucepan for gravy
Mesh small strainer/sifter
* Total cooking time should be approx 1h15 to 1h30 set at 2 temperatures (may vary based on the size of the Chicken)
Ingredients:
Whole Chicken approx 1.3 kg
1/4 cup butter soften at room temperature in a small bowl
6-8 cloves of garlic
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp dry rosemary
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
Veggies to add but can be altered:
1 Onion in quarts
3 Nantaise carrots preferably
4 Russet potatoes preferably
Gravy
Chicken juices from roasting pan
1/4 cup wine red preferably
1 tsp Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp corn starch mixed in 50ml COLD water
1 tsp butter
1/3 cup any broth
Lets get dirty:
1. Using the garlic press, crush the garlic in the butter and add all ingredients. mix with a fork or small whisk to get a nice creamy texture.
2. With your fingers, gently separate the skin from its meat without removing it. Apply the butter mixture in
the pockets rubbing everywhere. Glide your fingers in between, you will also be able to separate the skin from the drumsticks, as you want all the marinade to be inside and no only on top, that way the skin and the meat will absorb the goodness giving you a tender chicken. That is where the Magic happens. Continue rubbing the complete chicken inside and out with the mixture and place in the roasting pan.
3. Sprinkle a dash of salt/pepper on the skin and place the Chicken in the oven, center rack and cook for approx. 25 minutes at 425 degrees f, basting with the butter once it melts, every 5 minutes.
4. After 25 min, lower the oven to 375 degrees f and continue cooking for 25 min basting a few times in order to keep the skin juicy and crispy without drying up.
5. Once 25 min elapses, add chunks of carrots, onions and any other harder vegetable around the chicken,
sprinkle of a dash of salt and pepper on vegetables and continue cooking for 10 min, then add your potatoes, cooking for another 15-20 min checking the tenderness of the potatoes. Once cooked to your liking, remover from the oven and let Chicken rest at room temperature on a wooden cutting board or plate, covered with aluminum for approx 5 minutes.
6. With a spatula, remove all vegetables into a separate bowl, and place the mesh strainer over the saucepan to strain the chicken juices. On high heat, reduce the drippings adding the wine, vinegar and salt/pepper to taste. You can add any other spices or flavored ingredients. Sometimes I put whole cloves, bay leaf or even a dash of fish sauce and soy, it's elevates the flavors...
Pour in the mixed corn starch water and reduce heat to medium. once the sauce thickens, add the butter and let simmer for a few minutes. Set aside and carve your chicken. (Corn starch needs to be mixed into cold water only in order not to clump. Once mixed, it becomes a cloudy water)
NOTE: You can prepare any marinade ahead of time, coating the chicken as mentioned above... Once you get use to the technique and easy recipe, you will never buy ready-made chicken again.
Serve with a simple salad with lemon & EVOO dressing, a great glass of wine and you are done!!!
Hope you enjoy it and keep me posted!
Sincerely
T @ Stuffedfaces
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