Enhancing Basic Roast Chicken

Delia Smith tells us not to use a rack for chicken or you will not get enough sucs. I notice you recommend a rack. Which is correct?

Having a rack is definitely an option, but its advantage is that it allows for even cooking, especially for bigger birds or ones with lots of fat which are ideally cooked on the side and turned rather than just on its back and in a pool of hot fat. Using a bed of mirepoix is somewhat of a compromise as at least the vegetables will create some sucs of their own. Also, you can get sucs by simply laying out a few necks along with some mirepoix while the bird above roasts evenly.

So here's another case of choice and experience. You're given two ways from two reliable sources. But by making a simple adjustment, both ways now achieve the primary results - sucs and even cooking. This is what cooking is all about: we learn, do, reflect, think, re-do, dialogue, experience, share. Believe me, once you get to the latter stages, what I call the grandma stages of cooking, its the most rewarding experience in all of cooking!

Just had great coffee this morning.

Thanks Tony. I agree about the 'grandma' stages. I have been cooking for over 25 years but I am still learning new ways etc. That is why I joined Rouxbe and have not been disappointed!!

Good lesson. If one is using a convection oven is it necessary to point the breast toward the front of the oven?

I think I am getting to the "grandpa" stage of cooking and still always learn something new.

Because a convection oven constantly circulates the heat, this may not be necessary...but again, because all ovens are different it may not hurt to do it anyways.

The only real way to know if the back of your oven is hotter than the front (with convection on) is to test the internal temperature with a thermometer...both the front and then the back.

Hope this helps Paul - cheers!

Would you recommend cooking turkey this way?

We do like to cook our turkey quite similar to this method (of turning the bird). As turkeys are heavy we often just turn it once during roasting. Here is a full video recipe on How to Cook Turkey. Hope this helps!

I have been using the rotating method to roast chickens for the last 4-5 years, but I never have paid attention to whether the breast meat is facing the back wall or door. Thanks for that tip, it makes perfect sense.

Any problem to brine and then freeze?

I would hesitate to do this. Most home freezers aren't cold enough to freeze foods rapidly. Foods that freeze slowly tend to form larger ice crystals and expand within the flesh. If you brine in advance, even more moisture will be present, so more ice crystals will form and may adversely affect the texture of the meat once it thaws.

That being said, I haven't tried this myself. Why don't you test it out? Brine - freeze - then thaw one chicken breast and simply brine a second chicken breast. Cook the two and see if you can tell if one is different/better than the other. Hope this helps!

Great lesson, I roast chicken regularly. I think it is particularly cool that you guys used that enameled cast iron casserole that can be used for serving as well; one less item to wash. Now, is that the 3.5 or the 5 Quarts one?

http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Enameled-Cast-Iron-5-Quart-Casserole/dp/B000FPN94Y/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1277004263&sr=1-11

Thanks,

LH

I am not exactly sure if the Le Creuset pot used in the roasting chicken video was the 3.5 or the 5 quart...sorry! I looked for the box and I also looked on the bottom of the pot but it is not marked. I did measure it though and it measures about 12" (or 30 cm) across. Hope this helps - cheers!

Hi,

That's the 3.5Q (cheaper). The 5Q is 16.75 inches...

Thanks for taking the time to check this !

LH

I watched the roast turkey recipe video and noticed that when making the gravy the reserved fat is used to make a roux. In the roast chicken video a beurre manie is used to thicken the gravy. Is there a specific reason for this or can the chicken fat be used to start roux for chicken gravy?

Any type of fat can be used to make roux.

We show two ways to approach making a sauce from the leftover drippings. Cheers!

Would it add flavor to the gravy to put a mirepoix in the roasting pan at the step where the bird is flipped to its 2nd side and some liquid added to the pan to prevent drippings from burning?

Also if I wanted to have some roasted potatoes with the chicken could I put some small potatoes in the pan at the same time the chicken started roasting?

You can certainly add mirepoix to the pan for more flavor, if you like.

As for the potatoes, I often add potatoes to the pan. If they are quite large I add them earlier in the cooking process than if they were smaller. I also sometime par cook them first. They do not turn out to be the healthiest as they soak up all of the fat but they sure are delicious!!!

In section 2 of this lesson the video shows a lemon placed in the body cavity of the chicken. I figured that was a good idea so I sliced a lemon in half and placed the 2 halves in the cavity. When I tried to make gravy with the drippings it had a lemon flavor that was way too strong! I'm hoping you can tell me what I should do different next time.

If you do not enjoy that lemon flavor then next time I would suggest you either only add half of a lemon or add no lemon at all. Perhaps next time you may just want to try adding a few sprigs of fresh thyme and/or rosemary instead...or maybe some garlic cloves. Cheers!

I loved cooking this (this is Julie). IT turned out so good. My problem was that my chicken wasn't thawed all the way, the center was a little frozen. But all in all the meal was a hit!! i love what i have learned so far with this school! It has helped me out in the kitchen quite well and i can't wait to show my husband what i am learning, of course he is enjoying the end products of what i am doing!! But i will get him to learn these things.... Happy cooking to all... i am pleased with tonight's dinner. Thank you Rouxbe!!

I WATCHED THE VIDO 2 TWICE AND STILL DID NOT HEAR WHAT THE BEURRE MANIE WAS MADE WITH. DID I MISS IT???

As you watch the video there are Drill-downs that get highlighted to the left of the player. These are supporting text or video tips and/or techniques that provide more information. In this particular lesson there is one called "What is Beurre Manie". Hope this helps. Cheers!

I've heard that roasting a bird breast side down will result in juicer breast meat. Does this really work and would it allow the breast to cook slower than the legs since they will be more exposed to the heat?

This is similar to why and how we roast the chicken in this lesson (on it's side). It can also be done upside down. I say test it for yourself to see if you notice a big difference in moisture. You can also search "Turkey" on Rouxbe and there you will see we started the turkey breast-side down as well. Cheers!

Where can I buy the poultry baster shown in the video?

This is a cuisinart baster that is available in most kitchen stores. Cheers!

I know we've been talking about chicken but my question is about brining if a turkey has that little plug in it. Should brining be bypassed then?

I'm not 100% sure by what you mean about the "plug" in a turkey. If you are referring to a pop-up thermometer, some producers insert these and they supposedly pop up when the poultry has reached the "correct" cooking temperature; however, the temperature is usually far over the recommended temperature and can cause the breast meat to dry out. There are better ways to check when poultry is cooked, as shown in the lessons.

Some of these producers have also injected these birds with a salt solution/brine. If you have purchased poultry that has had this done, I'd skip on the brining process, as you won't know exactly how salty the meat will be in the end. When brining, it's preferable that you purchase poultry that hasn't been altered in this way. Please check out the lesson on How to Brine in the Cooking School - it has plenty of great information on the process. Cheers!

For grilled beef a chimichurri sauce makes a nice accompaniment, and it seems like its essentially a vinaigrette. Is there a vinaigrette you can suggest to accompany roast chicken?

Ken, many if not most, vinaigrettes will go with chicken as it is quite neutral in flavor. It really just depends on which flavors you want to impart into the dish/meal.

Here are few you might like to try:
Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette
Orange Cumin Coriander
Soy-Sesame

I say, have some fun with it and start experimenting and remember that there are less rules in cooking than most people think. Cheers!

Could you give approximate time guidelines for roasting a chicken breast with the skin and bones still in it?

The short answer is "until it is done". This may not sound very helpful, but trust me, it is the best advice that we can give. In culinary school, new students would get offended whenever they asked, "Chef, how long will _______ take to cook"? The answer we always got was, "Until it is done".

The beauty of this answer is that it forced us to think for ourselves and become interested and more focused on our entire cooking environment. When you are learning to cook (rather than just follow instructions), you start to think differently.

For example, I don't know how small or large the chicken breast you are cooking is. The size of the product and the true temperature of your oven will have a tremendous impact on cooking time. The real learning starts when you start testing. We can tell you, maybe 20 to 45 minutes or longer, but that range isn't very helpful. You'll need to test the internal temperature with a thermometer and cook it until it is no longer pink and the temperature reaches 165F.

Pay attention to the time it took to cook and how large the ingredient was. This way, you'll have a better idea for next time. By practicing and paying attention every time you cook something, you eventually won't even need to question it.

Wow, that wound up being a long answer :-) But we are here to teach you, rather than just give you a simple answer to follow. Hope this helps! Cheers!

Kimberley, I LOVE your answer! I drive my wife crazy when I don't time things that I cook. I've gotten to the point on a few dishes where I can tell by the smell if something this done.

I wanted to put some fresh herbs such as sage under the skin to give the chicken more flavor. I tried finely chopping them, but I guess I didn't get them fine enough because after the chicken cooked the herbs were definite splotches underneath the skin of the breast. If I used dried spices I could always grind them in a spice grinder to turn into a fine powder like the ones sold as poultry seasoning, but I figured it would be tastier to go with fresh herbs.

Do you have a suggestion for how to use fresh herbs under the skin? If I was using a pesto like you show in the video I could use a blender to get a fine puree, but I'm thinking a blender won't work so well on just leaves.

After brining and roasting, I do indeed end up with a succulent, juicy roast chicken with a wonderful crispy skin. However, when I slice the chicken breast as shown in the video, the skin just simply slides off and will not adhere to the meat. Is there a tip that I missed?

Fresh herbs are best, dry ones especially if you ground them up not only it is likely to be too intense but also the flavour is not as good, yes fresh herbs may leave some marks but you can't beat the flavour. I say don't over think it. You could also try using a nice compound butter under the skin (see the lesson for more details). Cheers!

I would try to let the chicken rest for a while, this should help, it happens to me also, food is something that is alive and every chicken, how it is processed, how well it was dried after the brining all of these can have an impact. Cheers!

We should pat dry the bird to obtain a crispier skin. Basting it doesn't spoil that? Thanks.

Alexandre: I am going to attempt this one. As you state, it is important to have the raw bird as dry as possible so that it roasts properly. If it is left with too much moisture on the skin as it is put into the oven, it will steam rather than roast.

Basting normally takes place much later in the roasting. You are basting with the juices of the chicken.. not water. As the hot fat sizzles on the skin, I suspect it is actually helping with the crisping as well as adding flavour and keeping the meat moist and tender. All I really know for sure is that it works!

Has anyone noticed The fly in the video when they are cutting between the thigh and the leg to check for doneness? didn't notice it in the recipe!!

I recently roasted a chicken on a rotisserie and placed a lemon on the skewer in the cavity to help keep the bird stable while rotating. I had followed all the instructions pertaining to promoting crispy chicken skin (sugar in the brine, pat drying, air drying in the fridge and pat drying once again), but the skin still wasn't crispy. I'm wondering if the juices from the lemon caused it to steam or are there other factors I'm missing?

If the skin is dry, it will crisp up, so I recommend that you roast it at a higher temperature, and/or closer to the flames. There is always an adjustment period with each new piece of equipment, so it may require some experimenting, but that is how I would start. No, I don't think the lemon has anything to do with it. Cheers!

Thank you Christophe. It may have seemed like a silly question, but in the past, in addition to the herbs, I would stuff tomatoes and citrus fruit into the cavity and tuck pieces under the breast skin, expecting the juices to keep the bird moist, which was true. The skin, however, was never crispy. The lessons have been so educational; I've been reexamining (and doubting) so many of my cooking habits. It was this lesson that made me suspect that I've always been steaming my chickens rather than roasting them, hence my question.

I'll start the experimenting this week. Thanks again. Cheers.

Just to be clear, in your first comment you indicated that you were stuffing the cavity of the bird: however, If you are stuffing or tucking wet ingredients underneath the skin, this will often cause the skin to steam rather than crisp up. Cheers!

I tried trussing a chicken tonight and it seemed to make the legs cook much slower than the breasts. Is that normal? It really ruined everything as I had to stick the bird back in the oven after resting and making gravy since when I went to cut the legs I noticed some pink even though I had measured the temp and it was 160+.

Yes, legs cook slower than breasts. In North America we freak out when some pink juices come from the leg. This is normal, especially meat near the bone. Simply let the bird rest for 10 minutes loosely covered after the leg meat reads 165 F, a bit higher than you're comfortable with, and problems will be solved. You were on the right track.

Another way to cook the legs faster is to rest the bird on its side, turning to the other side half way through (as shown in the lesson). This exposes the legs to heat while helping to protect the breast meat.

How long should one air dry the chicken in the fridge for as recommended in the lesson?

I'm yet to get the chi ken as golden as in some of the videos. I assume it's butter rather than oil that gives it such a golden colour (in the carving chicken video)?

Topic 2 discusses this. For an average-sized chicken, it can be a few hours or up to about 8 if it has been brined. Cheers!

I heard somewhere that you can brine a turkey and defrost it at the same time. Is that possible. If it is not, what is the quickest way to defrost a turkey?

Thanks,
Peter

For the safest results and the best flavor the turkey should be thawed in the refrigerator before it is brined. Once it has thawed it is usually then brined as this allows the brine to start to penetrate the meat. If you are in a pinch then yes, you could brine and defrost at the same time (better if the turkey is somewhat defrosted at least a bit). Just know that if brining and thawing at the same time, you will not necessarily achieve the same end result. And you can't simply just let it brine longer as the outside meat could then potentially become over brined.

For more information on thawing poultry be sure to check out the last topic of the lesson on "Poultry Fundamentals".

Hope this helps. Cheers!

I noticed that the recipe recommended room temperature butter, while some other recipes/videos for sauces reccomend cold butter for finishing sauces.

is the room temperature butter used simply because it's easier to spread?

Also why does cold butter help finish sauces better then room temperature butter.

Thanks
Mark

Not sure which part you are referring to. The room temperature butter is easier to coat the chicken with (as opposed to cold butter) and is also easier to combine with the flour when making a beurre manie.

In regards to adding butter directly to hot sauces, cold butter melts much slower than room temp butter and this allows it to emulsify better with a hot sauce. You can add room temp butter to a sauce but be ready with your whisk to whisk it in swiftly so it doesn't just melt and make the sauce greasy. Adding it in cold gives the butter a better chance to emulsify with the hot sauce. Hope this helps. Cheers!

Usually I can peg your cookware with not much effort with google, but I am having a hard time placing the green, enameled cast iron roasting pan used in this segment. I like it for roasting since it has a black interior (reminds me of Staub pieces). Can you share who manufactured that piece?

That does seems to be a tricky one to find. It is from "Lodge" but I cannot find it on their site or on Amazon for that matter. I will keep looking and let you know if I come up with anything. Cheers!

I think this is it here. Right now it is showing as temporarily out of stock at Amazon, but this may help you find it elsewhere.

http://www.amazon.ca/Lodge-ECR53-Enamel-Roaster-Emerald/dp/B0012NCPKW

Found one at https://www.shoptomlinsons.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=4128

Great price in comparison with Amazon as well!