The Comforts Of Home Roasting A Chicken

 

By Kerry Shelby

 

Ask chefs what they cook for themselves on that rare and precious day off and a very likely answer is a roasted chicken. Why? It essentially cooks itself, filling the kitchen with a comforting smell of home, and the outcome is simply delicious and easily paired with most anything. It is the perfect antithesis to the frenetic pace of the restaurant kitchen and the complicated, often overwrought food being carefully composed on a plate. A roasted chicken is straight up goodness, with the main rule being less is more. It is the perfect solution for the exhausted chef or any tired cook making dinner after a long day.

 

 

The only two things to consider when roasting a chicken are time and the bird. It takes a couple of hours from start to finish, but most of that is completely effortless. Selecting a high-quality chicken is not only a way to support responsible farming but will also reward you with more succulent and flavorful meat. There are many confusing terms used that are intended give the consumer an impression of the quality of the chicken, but most are either not regulated sufficiently to tell you much or are too vague to have meaning. The best approach is to do a little research on specific producers and find out their farming policies before you end up at the meat case. Bell & Evans, which is available locally at Fausto’s Food Palace, is a certified organic farm in Pennsylvania Dutch country that has been a leader in antibiotics-free poultry for many years. They produce nice, plump birds (Cornish hens and turkeys as well as chicken) and are my pick for roasting.

 

 

This preparation is adapted from the late Italian cookbook author Marchella Hazan’s approach of doing practically nothing to the chicken except rubbing it with salt and pepper and stuffing the cavity with a couple of lemons pricked with a knife. The lemons steam the meat as it roasts and leaves a subtle lemony flavor. There are many different opinions on roasting temperature, but I believe in going with high heat to crisp the skin quickly, sealing in the juices.

 

 

Weeknight Roasted Chicken

 

Remove chicken from the refrigerator about an hour before cooking is to begin. Rub all over, including inside the cavity, with salt and pepper and allow to come to room temperature.

 

 

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Prick 2 lemons all over with a knife and stuff into the cavity. Truss chicken with twine, tying legs together and looping around the wings, and place in the oven. Reduce temperature to 425 and relax! Check the chicken after 45 minutes, inserting an instant-read thermometer into the chicken just above the thigh. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees (it will continue to cook as it rests). Place on a cooling rack, over a plate to catch juices, and let rest 15-30 minutes. Serve with simple side vegetables like roasted potatoes, wilted spinach or a watercress salad.

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