Mermaidstenderroastchicken Recipes

MERMAID'S TENDER ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325.
• Place 1 tablespoon oil on the bottom of glass pan.
• Thoroughly clean chicken, removing all excess from cavity.
• Put 1 tablespoon oil on a paper towel and lightly rub the chicken down with oil Salt and pepper the skin.
• Insert 1 tablespoon butter, garlic and some chopped onion into cavity.
• Place the chicken on it's back and insert one tablespoon of butter between the skin and the breast, for each breast.
• (You have to kind of pull the skin a little to get the butter underneath it. This is what causes the chicken to be so tender and juicy.) Cook for approx 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes if possible.

ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking tray with foil.
• Place the softened butter in a bowl with the lemon zest. Strip the leaves from 1 sprig of rosemary, finely chop and add along with some salt and pepper. Mix everything together.
• Lay the chicken on the foil-lined baking tray, breast-side up. Use your fingers to smear the butter mixture all over the chicken, under the skin and inside the cavity.
• Squeeze the juice of 1 of the lemons over the chicken, and then place the 4 lemon halves (if they fit!) inside the cavity of the chicken along with the 3 whole remaining sprigs of rosemary.
• Put the chicken in the oven and roast it until done, about 1 hour 15 minutes. The skin should be deep golden brown and the juices should be sizzling.

THE BEST ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle generously with at least 4 teaspoons salt all over the outside of the bird and inside the cavity. Let the chicken sit at room temperature for 1 hour to allow the salt to penetrate. Or you can refrigerate it, uncovered, up to 1 day ahead.
• Set a wire rack inside a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• Toss the lemon wedges, garlic and herbs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Stuff the lemons, garlic and herbs in the cavity of the chicken. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips underneath the back. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet. If you refrigerated the chicken, let it sit at room temperature 30 minutes to 1 hour before roasting.
• Just before roasting, brush the oil over the entire outside of the chicken (but don't worry about the bottom), making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies so they evenly brown. Roast the chicken, rotating the baking sheet after 35 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crispy and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 155 degrees F, 70 to 80 minutes (the temperature will climb to 165 degrees as the chicken rests).
• Let the chicken rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes (do not tent with foil or the chicken will overcook and the skin will get soggy).
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and discard the lemons, garlic and herbs. Carve into serving pieces.

PERFECT ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.
• Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180 degrees and the thigh 190 degrees.
• Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve, and serve gravy on the side.

THE BEST ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Mix butter, garlic, thyme, rosemary, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper together in a bowl.
• Loosen skin on chicken breast; rub butter mixture between skin and breast meat. Press on the skin to distribute evenly. Rub oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper all over; place lemon halves inside cavity. Set in a baking pan.
• Roast in the preheated oven, basting after 30 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Let rest before carving, about 15 minutes.

ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Let the chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from the chicken if there is one. Remove giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Using the palm of your hand, roll the lemon back and forth while pressing down. Pierce the entire surface of the lemon with a fork. Insert crushed garlic, thyme, and lemon into chicken's cavity. Gently loosen the skin from both sides of the breast, being careful to not tear the skin; place sliced garlic and tarragon under skin. Place chicken, breast-side up, on the bed of onion slices. Bring the legs forward, cross them, and tie them together using about 18 inches of kitchen twine.
• Spread softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in oven, and roast until skin is deep golden-brown and juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. Insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, which will read 180 degrees when done, and then the deepest part of the thigh, which will read 190 degrees. Be careful to not touch any bones with the thermometer, which will give you a false reading.
• Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes so juices will settle. Meanwhile, pour pan drippings into a shallow bowl or a fat separator, leaving the onions in the pan. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour remaining drippings and any juices that have collected under the chicken back into the roasting pan. Place pan on stove, over medium-high heat, and cook for about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, increasing heat to high, and using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits; cook, stirring, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
• Strain gravy into a small bowl, pressing down on onions to extract any remaining liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter until melted and incorporated. Untie the legs, and remove and discard the lemon, garlic, and herbs from the cavity of the chicken and underneath the skin on the breast.
• Carve the chicken on the same cutting board using a sharp knife and a large fork. To remove the legs, pull one away from the body; use the knife to find the joint that connects the leg to the body, and sever it. Cut the thigh away from the drumstick at the second joint. To remove the breasts, cut straight down between the breasts, following the contour of the rib cage, until you hit the wishbone. Cut through the joint where it meets the breastbone. Arrange pieces on a serving platter, and serve immediately with gravy.