Oven Roasted Chicken

I have a weird family. I don't know anyone else who's parents have chickens running around the place. Granted, they have a farm north of the cities, but still. I've been attacked by rogue chickens with bad attitudes while visiting them. I like to think that this recipe uses one of them. Anywho, if you've never roasted a whole chicken before, it can seem a little scary at first. My first attempt was a little less than perfect, but since then I think I've gotten the hang of it.

Take a regular roaster or fryer chicken, and rub olive oil over the entire thing. Season with some salt and pepper.















If you want to get really fancy, you can add some cloves of garlic to the cavity or under the skin. I went for door #2.















Preheat the oven to 450° and place your skillet inside. When the oven is ready, carefully pull out the skillet and place the chicken breast side up. There should be a great sizzly sound as you do this (it helps crisp up the bottom). Cook uncovered for one hour. When you pull the bird out of the oven, the juices should run clear when you tip it up. Or, you can stick a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and it should read at least 155°.

















Save those drippings! If you add a tablespoon or so of flour and a little water over medium-low heat, you've got yourself some damn fine gravy. I deglazed the pan before adding the flour and water to get all that great flavor.





























Okay, so you have a great looking bird. Now what? Well, I used to be pretty intimidated as well when it comes to carving a turkey or chicken. And my previous attempts yielded results worthy of a grindhouse horror movie. But, I saw this video and all of a sudden it all made sense.


















You can also save the carcass for making your own stock, which is super easy to do.