I find myself looking this up each time I try to do a roast chicken. So here it is: the basic roasting technique. How you flavour the chicken really depends on the kind of dish you're making. There are almost no limits. But the basic steps and cooking times should remain the same.
Roasting is relatively simple and straightforward. It is still quite involved. E.g. you probably want to have some sides (potatoes, vegetables etc) and a nice sauce. Juggling all of it can be a bit messy.
I usually try to prepare some of the dishes separately. E.g. a potato gratin can be prepared in advance/separately and heated up. Some vegetables don't need a lot of time to cook (beans) and can be done quickly while you're doing the sauce.
In short, it can be a logistic challenge - particularly in a small kitchen. But it is and remains a deeply satisfying dish
What you need
- a chicken (obviously)
- salt, pepper
- in Franken (Germany), chicken roasters also use paprika
- herbs, depending on the kind of roast you're making. E.g. rosemary works well
- vegetables for the broth: I usually take an
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 large leeks
- 1 garlic clove
- oil (e.g. olive oil)
- ca 200ml water plus additional water during roasting (see below)
- cornflour or potato flour
Stuffing
- Suggestion 1
- onion
- old bread
- flat parsley
- Suggestion 2
- onion
- apple
Equipment
- roast rack
- roasting pan
- aluminium foil
- large plate
- carving knife and fork
- a sieve
- sauce pan
How you do it
- get the chicken out of the fridge ca 1 hour before cooking.
- wash and clean the chicken thoroughly and pad dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel
- open the chicken up and salt the inside thoroughly. Add some pepper
- on the skin, rub in salt and pepper all the way around
- preheat the oven to 200C (ca 400F)
- clean, peal and cut the vegetables into chunks and add them to the roasting pan
- add oil, sprinkle salt and pepper over it and add the 200ml water. The base of the roasting pan should be covered ca 3-5mm deep
- let the chicken rest for 1 hour.
- after that take the rack and place it onto the roasting pan. (Mine just about fits).
- place the chicken on top of the rack
- add the roasting pan with the rack and chicken to the preheated oven
How long does it take?
What do I need to do during roasting
- keep an eye on the bird in the oven. The skin should be crisp not burnt
- I usually add 1/2 cup of water (ca 100ml) over the bird every 20-25min or so.
- open the oven door and move the shelf with the rack slightly out
- pour the water slowly over the bird so that most of the surface gets it
- put it all back in the oven and close the door
- Using a rack as the advantage that you don't really need to turn the chicken around. If you place it straight on top of the veggies then the bottom will get a bit soggy unless you turn it around. I would do that towards the end (i.e. the final 20min)
What about the gravy/sauce
- when the roasting is done pull the pan/rack out of the oven
- put the chicken onto a large plate and cover it with aluminium foil to keep it warm
- put the sieve over the saucepan and carefully drain the liquid from the roasting pan into the sieve
- take a spoon to press a little more liquid out of the roasted veggies
- put the saucepan on a stove and bring to a simmer
- you can now add flavours of your choice - or a good wine for cooking....
- prepare the cornstarch/potato flour by taking a tablespoon of it in a cup and mix with water. Mix it well so it doesn't form any lumps
- gradually pour the content of the starch/water mix into the sauce pan and whisk continuously. The sauce should thicken but not turn solid.
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