Cooking whole chicken

[Greg44]

You know I have NEVER cooked a whole chicken before. Being a vegetarian (the only one in my family)it seems like I am the one who ends up cooking the meat! >:(

I have cooked Turkeys before, but never a chicken. I bought some lemon/pepper/onion/etc rub. Any tips - how do you cook them? It is about a 5lb bird.

[Tiam]

We talked about this recently. There is a way to poach chicken beautifully where you boil a whole chicken for only a few minutes then cover and let sit. There is also crockpotting it. But for roasting I would say no more than 15 minutes a pound. Personally, although I like chicken, roast chicken is not my favorite.

[JaneV2.0]

I throw mine in a pressure cooker with water and vegetables and set for the prescribed time. I've tried roasting and never seem to get it quite right. I think I need a cable thermometer. My partner does an excellent job with his vertical roaster and lots of herbs inserted under the skin of the bird. Before I had the PC, I was inclined to stew chicken, but you don't get any tasty crisp skin that way, either. I'd really like to try pan frying one some day (after 24 hours of marinating it in buttermilk).

[Wildflower]

I either boil mine or put it in the slow cooker for the day. Always smells wonderful....

[IshbelRobertson]

I loosen the breast skin and carefully (don't break the skin!) coat under the skin with a butter flavoured with oregano - fresh in season, dried in winter. I also put a halved lemon in the cavity, and if I don't have a lemon available, then a peeled whole onion (keeps the bird moist from the inside). I cook, uncovered, in the oven for about 18 minutes to the lb and an extra 18 minutes. I always check by inserting a sharp skewer into the thickest part of the leg to see if the juices run clear. The minute they do, it's done! If I'm making a stuffing (usually skirlie, based on oats and onion) I cook it separately to the bird. I hate wet stuffing.

[CathyA]

I rinse and pat dry the chicken. Then I salt and pepper it and sprinkle lots of thyme, rosemary, basil, parsley all over it. and a little paprika for color. Then I roast it in the oven with the lid on for about an hour at about 350. Then I take the lid off for about another half hour so it browns nicely.
I always thank the chicken's spirit too, for feeding me.

[loosechickens]

We buy the whole, organic chickens from Trader Joe's. We just wash and pat dry, (we don't bother with rubs for the skin, etc., as we discard the skin and don't eat it), and just roast in the Sun Oven at about 300-350 degrees for a couple hours until nicely browned and it's tender and done. Sometimes, since I'm going to make soup with the carcass, I put several stalks of celery and a quartered, peeled onion in the cavity, which seems to add flavor, and can be thrown in the soup later.

[Glo]

Pierce a whole lemon and insert into the cavity. Squeeze the juice from a second lemon, add 1/4 cup soy sauce. Pour mixture over chicken and bake about 1-1/2 hours in a 375-degree oven. Baste once if you feel like it. This chicken is very moist and tender; you can use the juice as "gravy".

[RCWRTR]

Pierce a lemon and insert into the cavity of the chicken along with 1 bay leaf and 1/2 of a medium sweet white or yellow onion, cut into 4 wedges. Use metal or bamboo skewer to close cavity. Halve a second lemon and squeeze juice from both halves of the lemon into a bowl. Add 3 T of extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper to bowl of lemon juice and stir to mix juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper thoroughly. Brush mixture over the exterior of the chicken. Bake at 375 degrees in preheated oven for about 15 minutes per pound, until skin appears golden brown and slightly crispy and breast meat is cooked thoroughly.

[Bastelmutti]

The recipe that works for me without fail is

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/spicy-rapid-roast-chicken/Detail.aspx

[Greg44]

Wow a lot of good tips -- I took most of them given up to the time I had to put the bird in. I put a whole peeled onion in the cavity, slid some slices of butter under the skin, rubbed it with some seasoning and then cooked it for about 18 minutes per pound.

We had the Missionary Elders (LDS) over for dinner and I knew these guys would eat anything, but my wife said it turned out wonderful - very moist and flavorful. So being the vegetarian - I took her word. Thanks for everyone's suggestions. We will try this again!

[RCWRTR]

I'm glad your roast chicken turned out well, Greg.

[Mrs-M]

Hey Greg44. You've been blessed with incredible advice here so far, and really, there isn't much left for me to touch on, but one thing I do want to say is, don't be afraid. :) As long as juices run clear, you're good to go! Sure are some yummy recipe ideas here!

[Mrs-M]

RCWRTR. P.S. Your avatar is sooo sweet! I want to hold your best friend so bad! What a cutie.

[libby]

Gregg44 just one more thing and that is that one of the best things about whole roast chicken is using the leftover carcass for soup! Place the bones in a large soup pot and add an onion, a carrot and some celery. Season with salt and pepper and a bay leaf. Cover and let simmer for 2 to 3 hours. Strain the broth and you then have a great base for soup.

[treehugger]

Greg, that must be hard to cook meat that you don't care to eat. Congrats on your success!

One further thing I would recommend is getting a meat thermometer (the kind you leave in while it roasts or an instant-read). That way, you know exactly when the meat is done without having to worry. This prevents overcooking out of fear of underdone meat, which is the reason lots of people serve dry chicken.

[Greg44]

Libby - I almost did that, we had other things going on last night and I just chucked out the carcass after I picked the remaining pieces for sandwiches. I will do that next time. This has been a fun experience.

Treehugger - Yes, we need a good meat thermometer - I have that on my list - along with a better kitchen timer.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions! Greg44