Roast Chicken

Let's be honest. Most people know how to roast a chicken.

And, truth be told, I was a "Roasting Virgin" until only last year when I bit the bullet and bought a really fancy iodized roasting pan. That roasting pan is a pain in the ass to clean - hence, it sits unused under the bakers rack, literally collecting dust. I turned the brain on, and realized that I can make my own "rack," so to speak, with my old standby - a 9x13 inch pyrex and some cut up vegetables.

So, that's my method. A little onion, celery and carrots will keep your chicken up off the hot bottom, and allow the heat to completely surround the bird. (I also add some water to the pan, so that the drippings down burn the bottom of my pan.)

I clean my chicken, then stuff the cavity with aromatics - lemon slices (I squeeze a little in there too), garlic, onion and some fresh rosemary. I then "truss" the legs (tie them up) and pat the chicken skin dry with a paper towel. After the skin is dry, I create a little pocket under each breast, and insert a pat of butter. (It's a boob job for the chicken!) The butter keeps the chicken breast really moist, and sinfully delicious.

I also rub some butter on the outside skin of the chicken, then sprinkle on a little salt, pepper, garlic powder and dried parsley.

Bake in a 500 degree oven, until the skin is tanned and crispy. Then, I cover with foil and allow to bake until the internal temperature of the drumstick joint reaches a safe 170 degrees. The whole baking process takes approximately 2 hours, depending on the size of your chicken.

The finished product:



Yum! Yum! Yum!