I bought a whole chook, unmarinated/seasoned, and unstuff (oh joy ).
What do I do?
I've never cooked a whole chook before, let alone season and stuff one...
I need a tried and tested recipe.
It's 2.3kg. How long do I cook it for? (I have a fan-forced oven if that helps)
I don't bother with stuffing or seasoning except for a little sprinkle of salt on the skin. Put chicky on a rack in a pan of water (make sure the water doesn't touch chicky but the steam makes it nice and moist) at about 160 degrees for fan forced. Check after 1.5 hours by stabbing a fat part and seeing what colour the juices are. If they are pink it needs a bit more try again in 15 mins or so.
Don't forget to let it rest 10-15mins before you carve it up. Good time to make gravy then!
Cook it at 180 degrees. Half an hour for every 500 gms. When you take it out poke the biggest part of the thigh if the juices run clear it is cooked if they pink chuck it back in for another 10 minutes then check again.
Stuffing - this is the one I do.
Make 1 serve of cous-cous according to the package directions but substitute lemon for half the water.
Then stir in a big glob of olive oil, one egg, about half a handful of sultanas, a few chopped up dried apricots, about half a handful of natural seed mix (pumpkin, pine nuts etc - the brand I buy is called Lucky), some salt and some morrocan seasoning or harrissa (I'm to lazy to mix my own but you could). Mix it all up and then shove it up the chook's arse. Sometimes I shove a clove of garlic up there too but usually I don't.
You can use rice instead of the cous-cous.
Rub the chook with salt, lemon and spices.
Cook your chook and then when it's done take it out of its juices and use them to make the gravy.
Butter lumps under the skin, salt and pepper a quick drizzle of oil over the top and in the oven....Chicken is easy.
Just make 1 cut in each thigh (the fat part of the leg) - just stab your knife into it almost to the bone - will help make sure that the legs cook to the bone with the rest, so it doesnt dry out.
Stuffing - breadcrumbs, herb - fresh and dried, orange zest, bit of juice salt and pepper 1 egg and enough water or oil to bind it a bit (not much!!) and a teaspoon of seeded mustard
ETA: Before you roast it, make sure you WASH it under cold running water, inside and out - check the cavity for any bits of entrail they havent removed properly and to make sure they havent put a soaker pad in there (you do NOT want to eat that)
Hi Leasha,
If you notice the skin ontop getting a bit too brown or burnt then yeah just pop some foil over the top of the breast part of the chicken. I've never used the bags so I'm on that "no to the bag" bandwagon lol
When I can be bothered to do stuffing is mixed herbs or oregano, salt and pepper, fresh breadcrumbs ( bout 3-4 slices of bread whizzed in the processor) an egg, chopped mushies and tomatoes.
OR
I peel 2 medium onions and shove them in
OR
I peel one onion and half a lemon into the carcass.
I rub butter over the skin and sometimes under the skin on the breast. Salt and pepper or even a chicken stock cube crumbled over the skin or some vegeta vege stock powder is yum too. I usually roast mine for roughly and hour and a half to three quarterson 200 degrees but I always check the inside if the leg to see if its cooked .
Last edited by tiffanny; September 30th, 2009 at 12:13 PM.
I poke a few holes in the chicken with a knife then I slice up fresh garlic and put that in the holes.. As far down as you can push them (yum when roasted)
Then I sprinkle the top of the chook with salt, pepper and italian herbs (or whatever you like) I sometimes drizzle some oil over it as wlel to give that yummy skin
cook on 180c to 200c for how ever lkong it takes to cook. If you take it out of the oven when it is a teeny bit pink it will continue to cook with the heat from within but won't dry out like it would if you leave it in the oven
Roast veges are so easy now I know what im doing
I slice potatoes, onion, pumpkin zuccinni carrots ect and cook them in the electric fry pan. I brown them both sides then I put water in there so it doesn't stick to the pan. I haven't yet mastered oven roasted veges. I leave that one to Dh lol
leash- youar eso brave - i have never doen it either way too scared- goona give you rep points for that LOL
rav- love you recipe - chicky PMSL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Help me roast a chicken please!
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