Whole chicken

[jfiling]

I have one brining in the refrigerator right now, to cook tonight. It's just my wife an I, so I figure this thing is going to be good for at least three meals (roasted chicken tonight, chicken salad from the leftovers, soup stock from the carcass). The thing is, this is the first time I've done any of this, so I wondered if anyone had any good tips for any of the process. One thing I'm thinking about doing is taking the wings off before cooking and freezing them, to build up a supply for a nice wing meal sometime.

[mattvan1]

Don't know about removing the wings - don't want to lose any juices from the bird.

Simple -Rinse and dry thouroughly. Rub skin liberally with butter or oil. Salt, pepper, and whatever else you want - be aggressive. Quarter an onion and throw in the cavity. Maybe throw in a quartered lemon as well. Breast side up at 350 until juices run clear, (or use a meat thermometer) anywhere from 1 hour 15 minutes to longer, depending on the size of your bird. Breast meat will cook faster than the thighs, so check both. Enjoy.

[aoxo1]

Build a smokehouse and smoke it. Finest chicken you'll ever have.

[mattvan1]

Build a smokehouse and smoke it. Finest chicken you'll ever have.

Or, if that's too complicated, ...........basic beer can chicken.

Gas or charcoal grill. Medium fire (around 350)

Open a can of full favored beer. Drink 1/4. Pour hot sauce or worchestershire or soy or something in the can for flavor. Wing sauce works well also. Maybe stick a stem of rosemary in the can. Rub the chicken with oil. Season well with salt, pepper, and whatever else you like. Invert the bird and insert the entire can into the cavity, so the carcass is upright and resting on the can. Close the lid on the grill and watch football. Ready to eat in 90 minutes. The contents of the can keep the bird mosit and the charcoal gives a great flavor. Foolproof (almost)

[jb]

Build a smokehouse and smoke it. Finest chicken you'll ever have.

I respectfully disagree.

Build a Poppeye's. Inseret chicken.


BTW - W/ GE selling $ 4.99 rotisserie chickens, no reason not to just shortcut the cooking.

[Larvell Blanks]

Fry them whole, it was good enough for this guy...



Jake: Four fried chickens and a Coke.
Elwood: And some dry white toast please

[aoxo1]

Build a smokehouse and smoke it. Finest chicken you'll ever have.

Or, if that's too complicated, ...........basic beer can chicken.

Gas or charcoal grill. Medium fire (around 350)

Open a can of full favored beer. Drink 1/4. Pour hot sauce or worchestershire or soy or something in the can for flavor. Wing sauce works well also. Maybe stick a stem of rosemary in the can. Rub the chicken with oil. Season well with salt, pepper, and whatever else you like. Invert the bird and insert the entire can into the cavity, so the carcass is upright and resting on the can. Close the lid on the grill and watch football. Ready to eat in 90 minutes. The contents of the can keep the bird mosit and the charcoal gives a great flavor. Foolproof (almost)

Yeah, but if you build a quality one you can use it over and over again.

[dmiles]

This Beer Can Chicken sounds good. Let me ask I have the typical 3 burner gas grill. Since the heat is indirect do you turn the two side burners on and place the bird in the middle? Or just turn on the middle burner and place the bird over one of the side burners?

[mattvan1]

This Beer Can Chicken sounds good. Let me ask I have the typical 3 burner gas grill. Since the heat is indirect do you turn the two side burners on and place the bird in the middle? Or just turn on the middle burner and place the bird over one of the side burners?

Just close the lid and treat it like an oven. I would pre heat with all 3, then put the chicken in the middle and turn off the center burner. Fiddle with the outside 2 to keep the temp around 350.

[jfiling]

Just to get back on what I've learned...

I thaw the whole bird (around 4 pounds) in the microwave. Heat the oven to 350 with a 12" cast-iron skillet inside, then toss the bird breast-side up in the skillet. Cook for 75-90 minutes. Lots of great roasted meat for the two of us.

Then, once the remainder of the bird cools down enough to touch it, shred the rest of the meat and refrigerate for chicken salad. Take the remainder of the carcass and simmer with a carrot, stalk of celery, and an onion (all halved). That makes killer chicken stock.

Basically, from one fryer/roaster chicken, I can make 4-5 meals easily, and all are yummy delicious.

I will try the beer can grilling method, once I have a grill.

[mattvan1]

Just to get back on what I've learned...

I thaw the whole bird (around 4 pounds) in the microwave. Heat the oven to 350 with a 12" cast-iron skillet inside, then toss the bird breast-side up in the skillet. Cook for 75-90 minutes. Lots of great roasted meat for the two of us.

Then, once the remainder of the bird cools down enough to touch it, shred the rest of the meat and refrigerate for chicken salad. Take the remainder of the carcass and simmer with a carrot, stalk of celery, and an onion (all halved). That makes killer chicken stock.

Basically, from one fryer/roaster chicken, I can make 4-5 meals easily, and all are yummy delicious.

I will try the beer can grilling method, once I have a grill.

Rub the bird with some butter or oil for a crispy skin. Salt and pepper. Also, make sure you remove the plastic bag from the cavity (usually has the gizzards and neck). I avoid at all costs thawing large cuts of raw meat in the mirowave. I would prefer to set it on a plate in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you do want to go the nuke approach, make sure the bird goes straight into a hot oven.

[jfiling]

Also, make sure you remove the plastic bag from the cavity (usually has the gizzards and neck). I avoid at all costs thawing large cuts of raw meat in the mirowave. I would prefer to set it on a plate in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you do want to go the nuke approach, make sure the bird goes straight into a hot oven.

It did go right in the oven. Also, I've learned that one of my cats likes me to simmer the gizzards (the bag in this chicken only had a neck and a huge liver), and drop it in a bowl for him. I thought the liver was delicious, but he damn near took off one of my fingers when I put the bowl in front of him. I might start saving the livers for pate.

[Lebowski]

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/chicken-in-milk

Try this.

Sounds gross, but its damn good. Restaurant quality chicken.

[jfiling]

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chicken-recipes/chicken-in-milk

Try this.

Sounds gross, but its damn good. Restaurant quality chicken.

That looks incredible. Next time I want to get a bit fancier with the chicken I'll try that.

I still can't get over what a great deal these chickens are, though. Acme has boneless chicken breasts on sale for $2.99/lb., which isn't bad, but nowhere near the deal of getting 3-4 meals for 2 out of a $.99/lb. whole bird. Plus, giblets for the cats.

[exiledbuckeye]

I'm going to try this as soon as I buy another whole chicken. Wish I'd done it for Thanksgiving, a friend did and was able to cook a 17.5 lb. bird in 2 hours. Amazing. Even if the word "spatchcock" is disturbing.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009 ... ecipe.html

[Lubber]

Canadian Steak seasoning
Put it in the Set It and Forget It oven and you have a delicious bird in about an hour.

[jfiling]

I've taken to cooking my chickens in a 9"x13" pyrex baking dish. Last night, after removing the chicken I decided to turn the juices into a sauce on the stove top.

DO NOT DO THIS, EVER!

Unless you enjoy cleaning up the remnants of an exploded glass baking dish, pyrex should never be used on the top of the stove. Damn shame, too, because the sauce was going to be gorgeous, and now I'm short one baking dish.