easy way to roast chicken

Posts Tagged ‘easy way to roast chicken’

Our friend Irv in Washington D.C. put me onto this wonderfully care-free way to roast a chicken developed by America’s Test Kitchen TV programme.

It’s simple and hands-off (well, the chicken needs a hand getting into the oven but that’s about it!).

1 average chicken–washed and dried

olive oil

sprigs of rosemary and thyme (if they are at hand or just one of them)

2 or 3 garlic cloves–unpeeled

1/2 (half) a lemon

salt and pepper

white wine for deglazing (scraping up the good bits!) and making the gravy

Choose a pan that will hold the chicken easily.
Turn the oven on to 450F/230C (Hot!)
Put the empty pan in the oven–yes, empty–no oil, nothing!
Dribble olive oil over the bird and using your clean hands or a brush, coat the chicken in olive oil.
Season the chicken well with salt and black pepper.

Stuff the cavity with the lemon, garlic and herbs.
When the oven has reached its target heat, quickly take out the pan wearing oven gloves, pop the chicken on it and put the pan straight back in the oven.
Roast the chicken for 30 minutes.
Turn off the heat but DON’T open the oven door!
Let the bird sit cosily in the oven for a further 30 minutes–it won’t complain.Then take the pan out of the oven and cover the chicken with foil and let it settle/rest for 15-20 minutes.
Remove the foil and transfer the chicken to a warmed serving platter.

Carefully spoon out excess fat in the pan–leaving the good gravy making juices behind.
Gingerly upend the chicken and let the remaining juices inside fall back into the cooking pan.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine on a lowish heat–stirring as the alcohol evaporates.
Pour this gravy into a heated gravy boat or jug.

And there you have it–Irv’s simple carefree way to roast a chicken.
Ready for carving…

and eating!