Recipe - Basic Recipe For Roast Chicken

1 Whole chicken; 3 1/25 lbs.
each (giblets, kidneys,and
excess fat removed)
(chicken rinsed and dried)
Salt and pepper
Herbs; (citrus peel or onion
or other aromatics)
One fourth cup Butter; melted

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position heat oven to 500 degrees. Elevate
roasting rack by crumpling four sheets of aluminum foil into balls and
placing them underneath rack to raise it slightly above edge of pan,
lightly oil roasting rack.

2. Season cavity with salt and pepper to taste place aromatics in cavity.
Pin flaps of skin at leg end together. If legs splay badly, tie drumstick
ends loosely together. Arrange chicken, backside up, on rack.

3. Roast chicken, brushing bird with butter or pan juices every 8 to 1 0

minutes. (If pan juices begin to spatter loudly, add a few tablespoons of
water to pan" repeat whenever necessary).

4. After 20 minutes (for a small chicken) to 30 minutes (for a chicken
approaching 5 pounds), season legs and turn chicken, breast side up,
pouring juices from body cavity into pan. Prop up the breast end with 1
~inchthick wad of foil under the back. Baste and return to oven.

5. Roast chicken, basting every 7 to 8 minutes, until breast side has
browned sufficiently. Turn down oven to 325 degrees and prop oven door open
for a minute or two to quickly bring temperature down. After 40 minutes
total cooking time (50 minutes for large birds) season breast and legs,
then check inner breast temperature by inserting thermometer from neckend
along ribs. When thermometer registers 148 to 150 degrees (145 degrees if
you don't mind some slightly pink spots), the breast is done.

Figure on breast temperature rising 2 degrees (larger birds) to 3 degrees
(small ones) for every additional minute in oven. When breast is done,
insert thermometer into thigh meat closest to body, it should read at
least 160 degrees.

6. When chicken is done, tip cavity juices into pan and poke skin below
thigh to release underskin juices. Transfer chicken with rack to a plate,
let rest for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Cook's Illustrated, Nov./Dec. 1992, Page 27. Credit: Harold McGee.

Nationality: USA Course: roast Season:any Method: roasted

Start to Finish .......... 1 One half hours Preparation 5 minutes Attention 1
hour Finishing 20 minutes

Converted from Mangia!, Cook's Illustrated 19931995 Cookbook

NOTES : Serves 4 to 6.

Recipe by: Cook's Illustrated, Nov./Dec. 1992, Page 27

Posted to MCRecipe Digest by "Hobbs, D B USO"
hobbs@lbcapo1.uso.unisys.com on Mar 30, 1998