Roast Chicken Throwdown
 

My girlfriend and I are having a roast chicken throwdown party, still working out the details, one evening or two, friends to invite as judges, etc.

She loves meyer lemons so was thinking of a lemon-garlic roast chicken.

Any thoughts on other recipes that would guarantee me a win?

Chicken must be roasted at some point.

Brine the bird.

Roast Sticky Chicken

This recipe is a great way to roast a large chicken. It is reminiscent of those rotisserie-style chickens that are so popular now, and it is very easy to make. The meat comes out very moist and flavorful, so it is as good leftover as freshly cooked. You need to start this the night before serving.

4 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
I tsp onion powder
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large roasting chicken, as big as you can find
1 cup chopped onion

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices. Remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin. Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to roast chicken, stuff cavity with onions, and place in a shallow baking pan. Roast, uncovered, at 250 degrees for 5 hours (yes, 250 degrees for 5 hours). After the first hour, baste chicken occasionally (every half hour or so) with pan juices. The pan juices will start to caramelize on the bottom of pan and the chicken will turn golden brown. If the chicken contains a pop-up thermometer, ignore it. Let chicken rest about 10 minutes before carving.

You can make a spicy gravy from the drippings.

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Really, really easy & fall-apart tender & very tasty.

Ian

crispy skin wins everytime.

brine bird, wipe butter on skin, roast it stuffed with lemons. when done, break bird down into servings, preheat broiler. set chicken pieces on a baking sheet and crisp the skin under the broiler..in the meantime, you would have already started your pan sauce. take some grease in the pan, soften shallots, add some flour and cook out that raw taste. add broth, and cook it down a bit. take it off heat, dump in a handfull of chopped parley and chives..stir in a pat of butter, squeeze in FRESH lemon juice..whisk smooth. drizzle over chicken pieces served over mashed potatoes (or scalloped gratin potatoes cut out of the pan with a round cookie cutter for artsy-sake)..spike your kitchen towel in victory and enjoy the spoils.

I don't like those birds packed "in solution". I much prefer the birds from the butcher that come "dry".

I like vash's recipe.

If carving the finished bird whole (rather than breaking down the roasted bird and broiling the pieces) I'd also separate the skin from the meat (get fingers in there), layer some bacon (or lemon slices, or chopped-up chicken fat) between skin and meat, cut some slits in the skin to let fat escape, pat the skin dry and further dry it by dusting with some cornstarch or flour.

But if you're going to break down the bird before the final crisping, this isn't necessary. You can cut off the breasts 10 min before the rest of the bird, so no worries about them overcooking and thus no need for the bacon "insulation" layer. The broiler will crisp the skin, so no need for the slitting, separation and dusting.

Is the competition such that you'll need novelty to win - i.e. a perfectly but conventionally roasted bird won't do it? I've also used oranges instead of, or with, the lemons for a different taste. Or a tasty glazing on the skin - honey, or maybe a liqueur of some sort? Or adapt a Peking duck approach?

I might also pull the breasts when quite underdone, and sear/brown the underside (pork fat?) in a very hot pan, before finishing the skin with the broiler.

Consider wrapping the leg ends in foil to avoid unsightly charring when broiling.

Don't let your sneaky competitors distract you during the broiling. They'll offer you a scrumptious drink, or a hot French kiss, or a blo - never mind - in order to distract you while your bird chars.

Hot Sticky Sweet Ginger Twice Roasted Chicken.

Butter, salt and pepper the skin of a large roasting chicken.
Roast in oven at 350 for about 45 minutes until skin is crispy.

Remove bird from oven.

Using a single edge razor blade cut the breast and thighs in deep vertical incisions about an inch apart.

Into each gap, slide a thin slice of fresh ginger. (Use a potato peeler to make ginger slices.)

Cover entire bird with glaze.

Roast again at 350 for another half hour.

This is a recipe from a Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn. Best chicken I ever tasted.

I borrowed the glaze recipe from; Sweet and Spicy Asian Wings Recipe : Emeril Lagasse : Food Network

Glaze:
* 2 cups orange juice
* 1 cup pineapple juice
* 2 tablespoons orange zest
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons minced green onion
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/2 cup mirin
* 1 cup sugar
* 11/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
* 2 cups cornstarch
* 4 tablespoons Emeril's Essence
* 1 tablespoon salt
* 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
* 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

In a large saute pan set over medium-high heat, place the orange juice, pineapple juice, orange zest, garlic, green onion, sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and red pepper flakes. Bring the pan to a boil and stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid has reduced to a thick syrup, about 18 to 20 minutes.

That should be "Hot Damn! Sticky Sweet Ginger Twice Roasted Chicken".

Wanna win?

Make this one:

Almost Bourdain: Anthony Bourdain's Poulet Roti (French Style Roast Chicken with Herb Butter)

JR

We do something similar to Bourdain's. Don't have the recipe here but the jist is:

One whole bird, remove giblets, neck

Chop up tarragon, sage, garlic
Chop up prosciutto
Juice from 1/2 lemon
mix with softened butter

Rub butter mix under breast skin and over and inside carcass
Place one half of lemon in carcass

450 degree oven for 20 minutes
Pull roasting pan, lift bird and add chopped potatoes, carrots whatever to bottom of pan
Mix to coat with the melting butter
Put bird directly on goodies
Roast for another 45 minutes at 400
Lift bird and stir veggies occasionally
Let sit for 10 minutes before carving

I'm doing this from memory, I'll check on details when I get home and update

Yes, start with a bird from the butcher, NOT the supermarket.

Some EXCELLENT ideas so far, thanks guys. Not only is she a fan of meyers lemons, but also likes a Maker's Mark now and again.

So I'm think of running a test chicken tomorrow with Maker's Mark, lemon and honey. Could make a butter out of it, or a glaze.

If nothing else, looking forward to making some of these dishes in the future. Whole Foods has great chicken. In fact I got some Shaw's (standard supermarket chain) chicken a week ago and it tasted rancid by comparison to Whole Foods. Gotta start with the best ingredients.

Very true. And, if you use herbs, use only fresh ones. Dried herbs are not good on a roasted bird.

JR

absolutely.

forgot to add, the best part of this thing is the talking smack with her. until throwdown night of course. :)

Shaun, you don't need anything other than the chicken, salt, pepper and a knife.

Lately my technique even on chickens as small as four pounds has been to remove the legs and bone them out, then wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the big end to hold it together until about 20 minutes into the roasting cycle. I also remove the back, it makes it go faster. But in your case, having to compete with herbs and whatnot you need all the flavor you can get, so you should do only the following:

1) remove wishbone
2) using the bolster end of your knife, remove ends of drumsticks.
3) Remove wing at first joint.

Take whatever parts they give you, neck etc., and place those in water along with the pieces you removed. Bring to a high simmer but do not boil those parts for an hour or so, you make your own stock.

Put a single drop of oil in the center of a 12" or bigger deep skillet. Cover that spot with a piece of parchment paper. Liberally salt and pepper inside and out. Then start off with the chicken on one breast. After 20 minutes flip to the other breast. Following that, flip to the back to finish. Final temperature will vary depending on the size, but you probably want something in the 160 area as the ideal tradeoff between tenderness and the risk of foodborne illness. Remember that the temperature will coast upward once it's off the heat and remember to let it stand for 20 minutes before you cut it.

While you are waiting. . . remove the parchment paper and defat by turning up the heat until the water boils off and the fat begins to spit back- then dump it out, return to heat and deglaze with the stock you made out of the other parts.

With enough practice the concentration of chicken flavor is incredible. Pepin said that one of the ways he would evaluate a chef is to watch how he roasts a chicken. (the other way is to watch him make an omelet)

Good luck and how about some high-res photos of the end result?

Thanks I just bookmarked that site, looks very good.

We should have the date finalized tonight, hoping for 3rd Saturday this month. Will be taking pics.

made a bourbon-meyer lemon-honey compound butter last night. In the freezer now, going to try it tonight at her place.

you guys need to get a big hypodermic needle and INJECT the sauce -- an old Louisiana trick

I have a bunch of hypodermics/syringes in the drawer and have been playing around with injecting wine into chicken. The goal is to permeate the meat with wine without overnight marination - thus, instant coq au vin. So far, I've not been very successful.

big needle - try a horse vet

or buy a "Cajun Injector" at the grocery