This week we had again, as so often our chicken day. Because of the size, we directly put 2 chicken together in the oven or on the BBQ and then freeze the leftovers. In this post I like to introduce oven roast only, because everyone has its own BBQ method.
Additional, this week is a long Christmas weekend coming up and not everybody want or can afford a turkey or a big ham. Especially in Uruguay we have only heavy overpriced imported turkeys and Chicken is everywhere and cheap and common in Uruguay.

Whole chicken on BBQ, then use the spatchkock method.

Never underestimate the power of a roast chicken. It’s an infallible Sunday dinner, and the leftovers (if you’re so lucky) can be used for sandwiches, salads, and quick meals all week long. Roasting a chicken doesn’t have to be a special weekend affair, either. A small bird really only takes about an hour to cook, so we can easily make it on a weeknight. It’s that simple — and here’s how.

   Isn’t it mouthwatering ?

You can use a roasting pan for chicken if you have one, but don’t feel like you need to go out and buy one. Most of the time, I just use my trusty cast iron skillet. You can also use a stainless steel skillet, a large casserole dish, or even a pie plate. Anything oven-safe that will comfortably hold the chicken will work.

   No matter which roast pan – chuck is important !

You can also cook the chicken by itself right in the pan without a rack or anything else. Lifting the bird will improve the air circulation around it and help it cook a bit more evenly, but I think that this matters more for a giant Thanksgiving turkey than it does for a little weeknight roast chicken. But – sadly – little ones you won’t find in Uruguay.

  2 in 1, here with a coriander honey glace.

This said, I do like to go for this 2-in-1 meal and roast the chicken on top of a bed of chopped potatoes, onions, carrots, turnips or like this. The veggies roast in the juices from the chicken and I get an easy side dish to serve with the chicken.

  Roasted on a bed of root vegetables.

As far as actually roasting the chicken goes, it’s all pretty hands off. Rub it with a little oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper, then pop it in the oven for an hour. Go about your business — finish the rest of your dinner or pour a drink. The chicken is done when it smells so good you can’t wait a moment longer. Here I like to show you roasting one chuck only, makes it easier to describe.

   Insane „Mc“ advertising for South America – what a joke !

Ingredients.

1 (3- to 4-pound, 1 1/2 to 2 kg) chicken, or two together
Olive oil or softened butter
1 tablespoon salt
Pepper
Lemon, optional
Fresh herbs, optional
Garlic cloves, optional

How to do.

  Wonderful fresh, free range Uruguay chicken.

Reach inside the cavity of the chicken and remove the bag of giblets (if you can’t find them, check in the neck cavity). The giblets can be discarded, saved for stock, or used to make gravy later on. Don’t be surprised about the size of Uruguayan chucks, they can be the size of „small elephants“, 3 and 1/2 kilo is average.

  Take out the cavity.

For a very easy and quick roasting I put the chuck (Australian for chicken) in a big pot, poor over with hot water and let it simmer for about 30-40 minutes. With this method the meat will later fall of the bone and is still moist. The liquid you can use as a fine broth base almost for anything. We like to make a nice chicken soup with rice, leftover chicken meat and veggies (beans, peas etc.) from it.

Just lemons and thyme, don’t brine please.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels or a kitchen rag. Make sure to absorb any liquid behind the wings or legs. Blot inside the body cavity too, getting the chicken as dry as you can, inside and out.

  Pat the chuck dry.

Rub oil or softened butter all over the chicken, paying special attention to the breast and the drumsticks, be generous here! The oil will help the skin crisp and become golden.

  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and pepper. Again, be generous here! Or – if you like mix one of your favorite „herb and spice rubs“ and rub in- and outside generous.

  Rub generous oil on it.

If desired, stuff the inside of the chicken with halved lemons, whole cloves of garlic, or herbs, like rosemary, thyme or similar. This adds subtle flavor to the chicken. And the roasted garlic can be spread on bread!

  Stuff with lemon and herbs.

Place the chicken, breast-side up, in the pan: You can roast the chicken by itself in a pan, or lift it off the pan using a roasting rack or roughly chopped vegetables.

  Place the chicken in a rack and then in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 450F (230C). Place the rack in the lower-middle of the oven.  See further down my methods for normal heat or high heat roasting. Put the chicken in the oven and immediately lower the oven temperature to 400F (200C). Set a timer for 50 minutes and let the chicken roast undisturbed.

  Just seasoned with oil, pepper and salt.

The chicken is done when it registers 165F (80C) in the thickest part of the thigh, when the wings and legs wiggle loosely, and when the juices run clear.

   Always a safe way to control roasting, with a thermometer.

Continue roasting the chicken and checking it every 10 minutes until it is done. Total roasting time will be between 50 minutes and 1 1/2 hours — exact cooking time will depend on the size and type of your chicken. See cooking times further down.

  We like chicken on a bed of veggies in red wine sauce.

Once finished cooking, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 15 minutes. During this time, you can prepare a salad or side dish or whisk some flour into the pan juices to make gravy.

This is one of the finest. Cut into portions before roasting and season with a tamarind and thyme rub, then roast with the high heat method. Finally deglase with red wine, then chopped onion and crushed garlic, highlighted with a bit of double cream. A normal chicken raised to a gourmet feast.

Carve the chicken into the breasts, thighs, and drumsticks, and serve. See the part „easy carving“ further down.  Leftovers will keep for about 5 days in the fridge or can be frozen for up to 3 months.

This is an easy step by step way to do it.

Easy 4 step carving.

If it is a duck, a chicken or a turkey, I use the 4 step method only and it works fine.

  Separate always between the joints.

1. Separate the legs and cut them between joints into drumstick and thigh.
2. Remove the wings by turning them out of the joints and cut them in parts.
3. Loosen the breasts and remove them from carcass, then slice into pieces.
4. Pick any remaining meat off the bones and save it for other meals, or use it, finely chopped, in a delicious well seasoned gravy.

  Cut along the bone and then just pull the breast off.

   This works well also, cutting it „on the bone“.

Tips.

Roasting Methods.
There are two methods for roasting a whole chicken:

Regular method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Roast whole (thawed) chickens for 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

  Always watch your temperature – Don’t burn the bird.

High heat method:
This method creates a crispy, darker skin. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) and cook whole (thawed) chicken for 10-15 minutes.
Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and roast for 20 minutes per pound.
Do not add the extra 15 minutes to the cooking time as with the regular method.

The above times are for unstuffed birds. Add 15 minutes to the total cooking time if you’re roasting a stuffed chicken. And as with the chicken itself, make sure the stuffing reaches a temperature of at least 165 degrees F (75 degrees C).

  See how „white“ the bird still is above the veggies.

If you roast on a bed of veggies, turn your bird once or twice, because down on the veggies the chicken will hardly turn brown and crispy. Grab a glass of good wine and ENJOY !!