HOW TO: roast a whole chicken

These are tough times. I've discovered a culinary delight that would please the most expensive palate: homemade roast chicken. I've purchased a PERDUE® OVEN STUFFER® Extra Meaty Whole Roaster.


As you can see, this particular bird weighed 7.88 pounds. At 75 cents a pound, it cost a mere $5.91, perhaps less than you would pay for a chicken sandwich at Boston Market. It's very important to get a brand with a pop-up thermometer, as it looks done about an hour into it. Also, considering the price here, I think it's worth going with Perdue (or Tyson if that's what's in your store) as opposed to settling on a store brand bird.

Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare your stuffing and seasoning. For the inside, I just cut up a granny smith apple, used a little lemon juice, and some salt and pepper. I used a toothpick to seal up the rear cavity. On the outside, I just used a generous coating of salt and pepper. On the leg and wing on one side, I tried chili powder. On the other side, I went Moroccan: a mixture of cinnamon and cumin. (Last time, I just went salt and pepper all the way, but realized I could have kicked it up a notch on the wings/legs, since I eat those with the skin on. I'll have to report back on these spices.)



Add a half cup of water to the pan, and you're ready to go. I set a timer for 2 hours, 15 minutes, and then start checking on the thermometer every 5 minutes. This one took 2 hours, 25 minutes.

(remember to click on pictures for crispy HD detail)

This is perhaps the most important step. Let the bird rest for AT LEAST 15 minutes. I let it sit for an hour and a half, and it's still hot. But this way it's cool enough to handle with my bare hands. To carve, I just cut straight down the middle, separating the breasts into two massive chunks. Then I just grab what I can. Don't forget to flip it over and get the meat under the carcass.

When you're done, I end up with legs and wings and a gallon bag pretty full of beautifully roasted meat. I spooned some of the juices bag into the bag, but the meat was already moist and juicy.


I think I got about 10-15 meals out of one chicken. A favorite was making spicy-sweet paninis with garlic mayo, bread & butter pickles, jalepeno slices, and honey mustard, pressed in my george foreman. I'm also a fan of the Culinary Circle sauces. I've gone through a bottle of the Jamaican Jerk sauce, and tonight just picked up a bottle of Cuban-style Mojo Citrus and Garam Masala sauce.

There's really not that much work involved, and now I can come home, grab some chicken out the bag, heat it for a minute in the microwave with some sauce, and I've got a delicious, healthy main course for about 50 cents.

Previously in How To: cook a steak on a george foreman grill