Comments on: preparing a whole chicken? http://sage-parenting.com/2009/03/16/preparing-a-whole-chicken/ I visit the couponing, green lifestyle, and parenting blogs so you don’t have to! Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:17:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Rachel T. http://sage-parenting.com/2009/03/16/preparing-a-whole-chicken/#comment-398 Rachel T. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 20:37:16 +0000 http://sage-parenting.com/?p=845#comment-398 Since you're a newbie, I would recommend the easiest application: whole roast chicken. It's much better than store-bought (juicier, more flavorful), and requires minimal handling/prep work. There are many ways to roast a chicken, but the Barbara Kafka method works great if you like a bird with nicely browned, crispy skin. Defrost the chicken in your fridge overnight. The next day, preheat your oven to 500'F or as hot as it will go. Put the oven rack in the lower half of the oven. Put the chicken, breast side up, on a baking tray. Rub it all over--including inside the cavity--with salt and pepper (I also like a generous dusting of paprika). Then stuff the cavity with whatever aromatics takes your fancy: whole bunches of herbs, garlic cloves (I don't even bother skinning the garlic), lemon wedges, etc. Then stick the bird in the oven. Average cooking time is 50 minutes, but it really depends on the size of the bird. There's no harm in cutting into the leg to check for doneness and sticking the chicken back in the oven if it's still pink. Good luck! Since you’re a newbie, I would recommend the easiest application: whole roast chicken. It’s much better than store-bought (juicier, more flavorful), and requires minimal handling/prep work. There are many ways to roast a chicken, but the Barbara Kafka method works great if you like a bird with nicely browned, crispy skin.

Defrost the chicken in your fridge overnight. The next day, preheat your oven to 500′F or as hot as it will go. Put the oven rack in the lower half of the oven. Put the chicken, breast side up, on a baking tray. Rub it all over–including inside the cavity–with salt and pepper (I also like a generous dusting of paprika). Then stuff the cavity with whatever aromatics takes your fancy: whole bunches of herbs, garlic cloves (I don’t even bother skinning the garlic), lemon wedges, etc.

Then stick the bird in the oven. Average cooking time is 50 minutes, but it really depends on the size of the bird. There’s no harm in cutting into the leg to check for doneness and sticking the chicken back in the oven if it’s still pink.

Good luck!

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