Whole chicken - how to cook it?

[jackrose]

Cooking a whole chook is dead easy. Once you do it once you will be addicted!

Tarragon goes really really well with chicken!! The smell of a roasting chook in the oven with butter and tarragon... sublime! A good trick is to wedge some butter under the skin of the chook between the breast meat and the skin. You sort of work your hand in there to loosen the skin then push the butter in. It keeps the chook really moist. Then add a dash of oil and a sprinkle tarragon over the top of the bird, remove the giblets (v good to remember LuLu!), shove the lemon in the bird (a la marcellus) and a little oil in the pan and away you go. It is difficult to give a time in the oven as it depends on the oven and the size of the bird etc but the packet on the chook usually gives some times.

While it is cooking, pull it out every 20-30 min or so to baste it.. (dripple pan juices over it) this also helps keep it moist and helps the skin crisp up. The way to test if it is done is to break the skin where the leg joins the body. If the juices which escape run clear (not pink) you should be done!

yummy!

[jackrose]

Just thought of another way.

A few nights ago I wacked my chook in a big pot with onion (you could use leeks) sliced garlic, sliced ginger, salt and pepper and about 2L of water (enough to cover it). You bring the whole thing to the boil then reduce it to a simmer and pop the lid on. In 45 min or so your bird is cooked and once you strain the liquid to get rid of the onion etc you have a beautiful stock!

I removed the meat from the chook and used it with a white sauce in a chicken pie and for chicken sandwhiches. The stock is going to make a risotto very soon. It was a great way to cook as I could just leave it be and when done, I got a few different meals out of it.

[barney]

easy chicky i did one last night im still in the olden days but lol...
ok just get a big roasting dish put a bit of oil in it wack your chook in it put a bit of salt on the chook,peel some vegies chuck them in to and cook for about 2hrs easy hun good luk.
cut the straggily bit off round the chooks bum and see the inside of chook is clean..

ps about that beer chook im gonna try that one thanks

[Bengal]

I dont put oil in my pan, when I cook a whole chicken, I add about 2.5 centimetre's of water to the roasting pan, and then place the chicken, which has had the butter pushed under the skin, then I pour some soy sauce on the chook, (that makes the skin crunchy) and believe me its yum ..

Funny Smithy my DH likes the choocs bum (ewwwww) - don't even go there, I dont know how he eats that little flappy bit

Then I take it out half an hour later and add my vegies, we are having roast chicken tonight

[Cheeky_Monkey]

We're having whole roast chook tonight

I'm the same as some of the others above. Pop a few cms of water in the bottom of the pan but have the chook raised on a rack so it's not sitting in the water Sprinkle with whatever herbs you like (honestly I just chuck a whole mixture on) and bake on about 180 for 1.5hrs depending how big it is.

[Girl-23]

Thanks for your replies ladies.

I took the chicken out of the freezer, waiting for it to defrost a little. I couldn't wait any longer so I decided to boil it a little. I came back waiting to turn the chicken but saw something disgusting which is normal to some of you. The saggy bum - which some of you mentioned. I freaked out not knowing what the yukky looking stuff was. Am not touching it. No roast chicken here tonight or ever for that matter. The chicken is still in the pot. I am not going near it.

[Patooties]

Sorry, but you gave me a good giggle.

[barney]

Thanks for your replies ladies.

I took the chicken out of the freezer, waiting for it to defrost a little. I couldn't wait any longer so I decided to boil it a little. I came back waiting to turn the chicken but saw something disgusting which is normal to some of you. The saggy bum - which some of you mentioned. I freaked out not knowing what the yukky looking stuff was. Am not touching it. No roast chicken here tonight or ever for that matter. The chicken is still in the pot. I am not going near it.

ohh im am cracken up here...very funny..
glad you giving it another go chicky
cant wait to hear how it goes