Absolutely Perfect Roast Chicken Recipes

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• In a 9 by 13-inch roasting pan, add the carrots, celery and onions. Season the chicken both inside and out with the kosher salt and white pepper. Squeeze the lemon halves over the chicken and place the rinds inside the cavity. Place the bay leaves inside the cavity. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, olive oil and butter. Rub the chicken both inside and out with the garlic rosemary blend and place in the roasting pan.
• Place the pan in the oven and roast the chicken for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the juices run clear. To test this, insert a thermometer in the thickest part of a leg. It should register at 160 degrees internal temperature. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
• Pour off excess fat from pan and return to heat. Whisk in chicken stock, roasted garlic, white wine and chopped rosemary, scraping up the bits on the bottom of pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Reduce gravy by half, until thickened.
• Serve chicken with gravy on the side.

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pin feathers and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with the bunch of thyme, both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Tie the legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips under the body of the chicken. Place the onions, carrots, and fennel in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, 20 sprigs of thyme, and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
• Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.

ABSOLUTELY PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°.
• Remove the giblets and any excess fat from the chicken cavity.
• Peel the garlic and put it through a garlic press.
• In a small bowl or on your cutting board, mash the garlic together with the salt.
• When you have a nice paste, smear half of it inside the chicken's cavity.
• Rub the rest of the salt and garlic paste all over the outside of the chicken.
• Then put the chicken on a rack and put the rack in a roasting pan just big enough to hold the chicken.
• Pour the water into the bottom of the pan.
• Bake the chicken for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the drumstick just begins to move in the socket.
• Do not baste.
• Check a few times to be sure the water has not evaporated; add more during cooking, if needed.
• Cut the chicken into serving size pieces and serve with pan juices.
• I like to serve the juice in individual small bowls to dip the chicken.
• Note: Try to use a chicken as close to 3 lbs as you can find. It is more difficult to get the same results with a larger roaster chicken.
• Also note: Do not substitute regular salt for the Kosher salt. Chicken must be on a rack in order for the chicken to brown well.