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the perfect roast chicken
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bagpuss



Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 1:50 pm    Post subject: the perfect roast chicken Reply with quote
    

Given the info I have had other places suggest the whole beer roasting idea might not be worth the effort I now ask for your ideal roast chicken recipe

I generally smother with butter and other flavourings both under and over the skin which can be herbs, spices, ginger, chorizo etc then roast it for the prerequiste 20mins plus 20mins per lb

I generally follow HFWs advice of hot 220+ for the first 20minutes and 160ish for the rest of the cooking time

how do you do yours?

Jonnyboy



Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 2:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Simon Hopkinsons method, which was copied by HFW, which I'm pretty sure was originally Elizabeth David's

A liberal coating of seasoned butter, hot oven for 30 mins, glass of wine pured into the tray, down to 150 until cooked.

I often put lemon and garlic in the cavity as well

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 2:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Stick of celery, an onion (skin on) cut in two, and a carrot sliced lengthways, all in the roasting tin. Rest the chicken on top, season it. Pour some water (enough to cover) into the pan, and roast a1 180C for 20 minutes plus 20 minutes per pound. If its a good chicken, you won't need to do anything else, and the roasting juices will be the basis of a great gravy.

If it looks skinny, rub some butter under the skin before roasting.

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 2:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I refer the honourable member to my reply earlier.

bagpuss



Joined: 09 Dec 2004
Posts: 10507
Location: cambridge
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

okay I think I asked the wrong question

How about do you have any interesting non standard methods for roast chicken along lines of nigellas ginger roast chicken

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 2:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Yes.
















But I'm off to pick up my son from school. I'll post when I get back.

Jonnyboy



Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 2:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Ahhh yes, spatchcock then cover with thyme, some butter and a squeezed lemon. Whack on a griddle or cast iron barbeque and then eat with fingers when cooked.

Baby spinach leaves with salt and lime make a good side dish for it.

judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 2:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Jonnyboy wrote:
Ahhh yes, spatchcock then cover with thyme, some butter and a squeezed lemon.


If it isn't a daft question, where exactly do you cut in order to spatchcock a chicken?

cab



Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 2:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Chopped wild garlic leaves and butter under the skin. Failing that (as the wild garlic ain't up yet) raid the herb garden and use whatevers good. Orange thyme, parsley and marjoram work well. Our sardinian ex-housemate swore by rosemary with chicken.

marigold



Joined: 02 Sep 2005
Posts: 12458
Location: West Sussex
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 2:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I usually do Marcella Hazan's pollo al limone from The Second Classic Italian Cookbook:

1 small chicken (2.5lb)
2 lemons
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Heat oven to 180degC.

Wash chicken thoroughly inside and out with cold water. Remove loose fat. Drain for a few minues and dry thoroughly inside and out with kitchen paper.

Rub in a generous amount of salt and pepper, inside and out.

Wash lemons and dry. Soften them by rolling between hands or on work surface and prick each one 20 or so times with a cocktail stick or similar tool.

Place lemons in chicken cavity and close up the opening with cocktail sticks or trussing needle and string. Run a string round the legs, but don't pull them together - the string is just to hold them in their natural position.

Place bird in roasting tin, breast down. Place in pre-heated oven for 15 minutes, then turn breast up, taking care not to break the skin.

Cook for another 20 mins, then increase oven temp to 200degC for another 15 minutes.

The skin of the bird should puff up during the cooking process.

In practise I usually end up with a slightly bigger bird (ones as small as the recipe says are hard to come by at the butcher's) and cook for rather longer as I don't think her timing is long enough and I'm paranoid about food poisoning . I allow the meat and lemons to come to more or less room temperature before cooking and test for "juices running clear" to decide whether it has been sufficiently cremated for eating .

Serve with whatever juices run out, but don't squish the lemons as they then release bitter juices. Don't expect any leftovers....

Add a couple of bay leaves to the cavity as a variation.

Jonnyboy



Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 3:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Judith wrote:
Jonnyboy wrote:
Ahhh yes, spatchcock then cover with thyme, some butter and a squeezed lemon.


If it isn't a daft question, where exactly do you cut in order to spatchcock a chicken?


You cut either side of the spine, or just one side if you want to. and then flatten it out.

It drastically reduces the cooking time.

sean
Downsizer Moderator


Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 4:09 pm    Post subject: Celeriac stuffed chicken Reply with quote
    

Celeriac stuffed chicken.
1x2.7kg chicken
800g celeriac
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
150ml double cream
1tbsp lemon juice
3tbsps chopped parsley
nutmeg (about a 1/4)
S&P
275ml chicken stock
1 rounded tbsp flour

For the crust
110g softened butter
40g fresh white breadcrumbs
1 clove garlic, crushed

Peel and cut celeriac into 1cm cubes. Plunge into boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain, sluice with cold waterand leave in a colander. Melt the butter and fry onion until soft. Add cream and cook gently until reduced to about 4tbsps. Mix in celeriac then add lemon juice, parsley and nutmeg. Season to taste.
Mix the crust ingredients to a paste.
Stuff the chicken with the celeriac mixture then truss it.
Stand chicken on a rack in a roasting tin and smear all over with the crust mixture.
Cook at 220C for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temp to 180C and leave for 90 minutes. Pour stock into rosting tin and cook for another 30 minutes.
Remove chicken and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Thicken the gravy with the flour.

Last edited by sean on Mon Oct 24, 11 10:14 pm; edited 1 time in total

dougal



Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 4:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Today, Amazon have delivered my Zuni Café Cookbook, so I'll shortly be able to explain something about the theory of Pre-salting (24 hours before?) and fast roasting...

tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45389
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 4:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Zuni cafe, where's that?

dougal



Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 06 4:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

The Zuni cafe is in San Francisco.
Cuisine is Mediterranean/Californian.

Chef/owner was (understandably) infuenced by spending a whole year living (as an exchange student) with the Troisgros family at Roanne. Returned home and tripped over Chez Panisse...

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