Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Holy Grail of Chicken

Third time is still the charm! I have successfully roasted my third "Perfect Roast Chicken" using my Martha Stewart recipe. I cannot tell you how wonderful (and easy!) this recipe is. The first bite was so juicy and delicious it practically melted in my mouth. Phrases such as "this recipe is so freaking amazing" and other happy eating noises were issued. Mr. Lawyer had thirds and then when I was finishing my salad (I always talk while I eat so it slows me down, plus he inhales his food) he just started going at the poor chicken all caveman style from the serving platter. That good. The downside of the recipe is your house will smell amazing and you'll be ravenous before it's done!
Normally when I re-make a recipe I just link to my previous post but this one is worth completely reposting. I cannot urge you enough, next time you have a roasting chicken give this recipe a shot! Plus it's economical, around ten bucks for the bird and you'll have left overs for days to experiment with.
Perfect Roast Chicken
(Martha Stewart!)
Ingredients:
1 six-pound roasting chicken
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 lemon
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
4 sprigs fresh thyme (I used dry this time around)
Directions:
1. Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
3. Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1.5 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180 degrees and the thigh 190 degrees.
4. Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve and serve!

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