roast chicken

[chr1stina]

hi all. bought a chicken from tescos last night and i want to cook it this evening but im not sure how to go about it. i want the inside to be really soft tender and juicy but on the outside i want the skin to be crispy golden brown and tasty....any ideas? what temperate should i put it on at and how long for?X thankx

[billearly]

Hi Chr1stina This is how I roast a chicken,cut a lemon into quarters put inside the chicken with a small onion ,puncture the skin with a sharp knife only little holes then squeeze another lemon over it ,sprinkle on some dried sage then some olive oil .Wrap in foil put in oven preheated about 160c for about an hour then uncover and cook for a further hour to brown skin and just keep an eye on it .Sorry I cant be explicit about timing cos I just cook from instinct but if you find it is done before you are quite ready for it no sweat just remove from oven cover with the foil again it will stay hot for quite a while .Good Luck.

[nickmo]

Second the lemon, as the action of the acidic juices will keep the inner cavity moist. For a crispy skin, rub butter between the skin and the flesh of the bird before roasting. Use fingers to ease the skin off the flesh - comes away quite easily...You can also rub pesto or dry seasoning - paprika, herbs, etc - under the skin, but if the bird is a good quality one and not a '50p special', let the flavour of the chicken come through before using other seasoning.

And suggest you use a rack in the pan - don't just sit the bird on the pan base, but lift it to let air circulate....and start the roasting breast down for 40 mins - this will get a lot of the juices into the flesh, rather the pan...

Make sure the bird is cooked thoroughly too - check the juices run clear when pricked at hte meatiest point - do not rely on time only....

Let the bird rest for a minimum of at least 10 mins before carving - use this time to make up any gravy and sides top go with the meal...

[chr1stina]

thanks guys!! il try that! x

[vivandorron]

Hope your chicken cooked o.k. and you had a good meal

Good advice from both of the guys ; but I like nickmo's suggestion of roasting for 40mins, breast side down; will try it...........Ron.

[miles488]

breast side down really works for keeping it moist - achef friend of mine suggests using a blow torach on the skin and wrapping the whole thing(AFTERWARDS!) before roasting as per usual but wrapped in cling film!?!?! never had the balls to try it though...and was kinda worried about the chemicals from the cling film but i am assured it's the pro way to do it

[chr1stina]

the chicken was perrfect!!! i cooked it slow and tried to use everyones tips and it worked perfectly...thank you!! x