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Roast Chicken 101.

Posted on September 7, 2010 by admin

1. Rub some love into it
Before cooking, flavor and moisture can be added to a roast chicken in the form of seasonings and fats. Or you can merely rub the entire chicken over with a stick of butter and season with salt and pepper before roasting.

2. Bring it up to room temperature before cooking
Bringing the meat up to room temperature (about 70°F) will both cut down on the cooking time and ensure the fowl cooks evenly. Depending on the size of the bird, it will need to sit out between 1/2 hour to 1-1/2 hours.

3. Don’t rush it
So how can you tell when your chicken is cooked? Pay attention to the legs and they will tell you everything you need to know:
* Juices run yellow, not pink, when drumstick is pierced.
* The drumstick wiggles freely at the joint when manipulated.
* A meat thermometer registers 170°F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (but not touching the bone).

Approximate free-range chicken roasting times (unstuffed)
2½ – 3 lbs – 1 – 1¾ hrs
3½ – 4 lbs – 1½ – 1¾ hrs
4½ – 5 lbs -1½ – 2 hrs
5 – 6 lbs – 1¾ – 2½ hrs

4. Let it rest
Upon it’s exit from the oven, do not transfer the roast chicken directly to its place of honor at the center of the table. Instead, let it rest for at least twenty minutes on a tray that will collect any juices that may accumulate. This will allow the cooking juices to be re-absorbed by the meat, instead of leaking out all over as soon as the chicken is sliced into.

Snagged from http://www.simplebites.net/.