Now that fall is in the air, I'm starting once again to make my favorite cheap, delicious dish: whole roasted chicken. I used to be afraid to buy whole chickens, instead preferring to buy fresh or frozen breasts. I'm so glad that one day, my cheapskate ways overcame my fear of the unknown, because whole roasted chickens are not just Thrifty, but they're also simple to make, impressive to serve, and taste amazing. Here's my personal method. There are lots of other ways to do this too, if you prefer, but I get a good result this way every time. 1 whole chicken poultry seasoning (and/or your favorite spices) butter or olive oil garlic, onion, carrot, Apple, whatever you want to put inside the chicken for flavor To prepare the chicken, wash it thoroughly inside and out. Remove the neck and gizzards, if they're in there. Salt the inside of the chicken, and then put in the veggies you have on hand to add flavor. (You won't be eating these veggies.) Gently separate the skin over the breasts from the meat with your hands and put a little butter or olive oil under the skin to make it extra moist. Put some butter or olive oil all over the outside of the chicken as well and sprinkle your bird with salt, pepper, and seasonings. If you have time, let the chicken sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours or so to let the flavors meld. This step is optional. When it's time to roast the chicken, put it in your roasting pan breast-side-up (if you have a rack, use it!). Roast it at 500 degrees for 15 minutes. Then turn down the oven to 450 and roast for 15 minutes. Then turn it down again to 425 and roast for 30 minutes or until the chicken reaches 180 degrees. When your chicken is fully cooked, set it out on the counter for 20 minutes or so to cool off a bit and finish cooking. I'll let Gordon Ramsay show you how to cut the little fella up. Yes, he's cutting up a raw chicken, but the process for cutting up a cooked one is the same. [video=youtube_share;PEJSHRSJCn8]http://youtu.be/PEJSHRSJCn8[/video] Be sure to wash your countertops with bleach wherever raw chicken has been laying in order to keep your family healthy, and wash any kitchen towels that came in touch with the counters, the chicken, or your chicken hands. It goes without saying that you'll want to wash your hands good as soon as that bird is in the oven too! Enjoy!!!
It's actually quite fun breaking down a chicken, once you start to learn how to do it. I don't often buy the whole chicken, unless they are on sale, because for some reason they are a bit pricey at our grocery stores - but I will once in a while and separate it all into parts myself. What I normally buy for the most part are bone in skin on chicken thighs, which are almost always on sale and one of the most versatile cuts from the whole chicken imo. They are also one of the most forgiving in terms of accidentally overcooking them due to their additional fat content. I generally wear rubber gloves when working with chicken, just because it's kind of ingrained in me from many years of working in restaurants. But you do still need to scrub down and disinfect all nearby counters, because those juices and liquids splatter all over in ways you didn't realize or can see easily.
I gather from the guide that you need to cook the chicken for an hour. I've done some grilling while camping once and it doesn't take as much time. Remove innards. Cut the chicken up and grill the pieces separately. It takes no more than 20 minutes for it to be cooked. It's much better though to grill it over hot coals [not a gas grill]. That way the chicken cooks evenly.
Good post! I like roasting whole chickens. For me, it's cheaper that way. Letting it sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours uncovered allows the skin to dry out. That way it will get extra crispy when you put it in the oven. I recommend it if you have the time. You should also truss the bird with string (or you can do it without by poking the leg bones through a cut; you can google it). Trussing the bird prevents the wings from cooking too fast and helps the breast meat cook nicely. Another good tip is to get a meat thermometer. It's easy to overcook. Take the chicken out before it hits 160 and it will finish cooking out of the oven.
Eh, just not for me. It's certainly a cheaper alternative to just buying boneless white chicken breasts, but I'm not a fan of the flavor of dark meat at all. Just has a weird flavor and leaves a weird after-taste. But how you prepare the whole chicken (with a few differences) is essentially the same way I like to cook chicken as well. Smother them with spices and add veggies for flavor and it will always come out delicious.
I honestly usually just buy specific cuts and fillets because I mostly just cook for myself, but if agree that knowing how to deal with a whole chicken is great to have as an alternative. I know of this tip because of my older relatives who have been doing this for decades, even though even they also sometimes buy specific cuts for particular tasks. I only do this whenever I can plan out my dishes enough as I'd usually use the bones to make broth.
This is a great post and something most of us don't think about. I'm all about buying things in bulk and then slicing and chopping myself to save money. Along the same line, Costco around here sells Pork Loins for about half what you pay for Loin Chops, so it's a no brainer for anyone with a knife and cutting board to buy the loin and slice it. It's such a simple task and can save you big money
I've been arguing with my mom about those pork chops for years. I keep telling her she can buy a small pork roast for what she pays for a pack of pork chops and easily get twice as many chops out of it just by simply cutting them herself, but she won't do it, and keeps paying like $6 for a small pack of these paper thin chops. It's such a ripoff. I've actually noticed quite a few recipes this last holiday season that called for simply breaking down the whole bird, be it chicken or turkey or whatever, then roasting it, for a less stressful cooking experience. I know seeing a whole bird on the plate is more traditional and more dramatic, I would take convenience over the trouble of roasting a whole bird intact. Plus you can still plate the individual parts on a large platter in a creative way to make them look interesting and appetizing. I suspect part of the reason some people may not like dark meat is because it wasn't cooked long enough. There is a point when dark meat is no longer pink in the center, but it still has a gummy, greasy taste to it, which I find unpleasant. It's not until it cooks further, and more of the excess fat renders off and the chicken becomes more tender rather than rubbery and chewy do I consider it done. I've heard the wing tips in particular make an excellent broth. But it's hard to save up enough of those unless you are buying buffalo wings on a regular basis.
That's weird. I learned how to chop a chicken when I was about 8 years old. My father and grandfather has a poultry farm, so I would usually see what they were doing when they are "killing" chickens. It's actually fun and interesting to watch. This is the reason why I do not want to get attached to any of the chickens being raised at home. I don't want to be an emotional mess once it's time for them to go.
