Roast Chicky

This is another edition of "kitchen ride-along."

I'm starting a new gig in a couple days, and I anticipate a lot less time in the kitchen. I also don't plan on going back to old habits. These habits were bad, and I had plenty of them. Skipping breakfast---ugh. Sucking down a Big Caffeinated Something while inhaling a pastry on first break? Eating half of a decidedly dry, overpriced sandwich in the car outside of work because I forgot to pack lunch. Ugh, twenty-something me needs to be taken out to the alley behind the garage. 

So, I got a deal on those last-minute markdowns at the grocery store---two whole chickens for about $15 US/$20 CA. There may be some whispered complaints, and I surmise they'll fall into two categories. 

The first: "I can buy these at the grocery store." 

We both know those are probably neither very crispy, nor very juicy, nor is this the reason you are reading this. 

Secondly: "All the cheffy chefs say your have to watch your chicken like a hawk. I don't have time for that nonsense." Me neither. I usually don't baste. In fact, I try *not* to open the oven if I don't need to, so that the heat and moisture remain trapped inside. 

Ok, now that we're past those obstacles,,,

Round one: Roast those hens! (Let's say its 20% cheaper than buying pre-cooked).

Round two: Eat some for dinner. (It tastes better.)

Round 3: Use some of the "pretty" meat in a second dish---salad for lunch, burrito for Critter...you get the idea.  (Instead of one meal for 2-3 adults, you can probably serve 6-8. $20 for a shared entree out someplace?). 

Round 4: Make chicken salad from the little weird little frustratingly messy chicken bits. (Replacing a fast-food sandwich/meal? Let's say that's $10).

Round 5: Create stock from the bones, cartilage, etc.  (Bone broth will run you $6-8 at the grocery store. Now it's basically free.) 

Step 6: Use the stock for soup, gravy, or save for a rainy day.  You can see how $15 bucks could have been one meal, but now it's basically six meals. and cost probably $40 less than buying packaged goods or eating out for those components.

We'll start with step one today, and then future ride-alongs can follow up! This might be another way to think about planning grocery trips with maximum flexibility (I get BORED with the same ole), while still keeping it easy, not too time investy, cheap, and tasty. Aaaaand, this recipe doesn't require *too* much supervision, which is great for those of us who are busy, but not busy in *public.* 

So. Two birds, one baking sheet. 

As you can see, they haven't been trussed yet, but I did put some foil beneath them. If you maybe don't like handling raw meat so much, I recommend getting some gloves. These next steps are very important to the overall flavor. 

1) Make sure you've got your oven rack between the middle and top slots. Preheat your oven (I like 375 F). 

2) Slide your fingers underneath the skin of the breast and the accessible part of the legs, and gently make space between the skin and muscle beneath. 

3) Get in there with salt---all over the skin, beneath the skin, and inside the body cavity. 

4) Cube some butter, and slide it under the skin of the breast and thighs. I used about half of one stick between the two birds.

5) If you're lucky, your chicky's wings haven't been tipped, and you can tuck the wingtip behind it's shoulder, like this: (If not, don't stress! It'll just kinda lay there 😂)

 

(This tip came from Anthony Bourdain's Appetites cookbook, which was a lovely gift from a friend.)

6) If you want  sasonings, now is your moment. I like to grind a healthy amount of pepper all over the birds and inside the cavity. You can take a conventionally 'French' direction by rubbing the carcass in your choice of herbs (Dill? Marjoram? Herbes de Provence?) If you're feeling like dressing up the bird, you can put a few cloves of garlic, onion, a bay leaf or other herbs, or even some citrus inside the body. This will perfume the bird with whatever you put in, so it can be a really classy date night move ;)

7) a) Create a small hole in the skin of the chicken in the 'hip' area: 

7) b) Pass the other leg through the hole you've just created, like so:

7) c) Slip the other leg beneath the one you secured in the previous step so the other leg holds it in place:

Now you're seasoned and trussed! I like to drizzle a little olive oil across the skin. Then slip them in the slightly higher middle row of the oven (any lower, less crispiness...any higher? Your mileage may vary.) 

After about 50-55 minutes, I pulled these guys out. You can test for internal temperature with a thermometer (probably $4 at the grocery store in the baking isle)--with chicken 165F is ideal. However, if you're like me and usually just poke it with a fork, you want the juices of the thigh to run clear. It couldn't hurt to let these rest for 5 or so minutes before serving. 

Bawk. 

You can roast some potatoes in the oven at the same time, and/or serve with pretty much any side you please. I'll scuttle up some combinations in a future post.