Who doesn't love weekends? Especially long weekends, with plenty of sleeping in, coffee on the patio, and bed times that don't seem to matter. The aroma of something roasting in the oven or the barbecue ties it all together, and life seems perfected in those precious moments of family. Did I mention we welcomed a new dog into our home? He's an almost 3 year old Lab, who answers to the name of Coop. Especially when said in a low, drawn out voice. I haven't always believed in love at first sight... however I certainly do now. But back to the chicken, which has roasted in my oven for a quick hour - this is one of those classic no-fail staples which I will be passing along to my girls in a book planned for their wedding day. There is no stuffing, no lengthy preparations, just a stunning roast chicken, with great flavour and even better gravy.
My Favourite Roast Chicken
1 (3 pound) whole chicken
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Preheat the oven to 500 F.
Rinse the chicken, or chickens - this recipe is easily doubled, in fact, I always do - inside and out under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.
Place the chicken, breast side up, in a roasting pan on a rack. Rub all over with olive oil.
Combine the seasonings, and rub onto chicken. You can also rub it under the skin, directly onto the meat. Sprinkle some inside the cavity, too.
Roast the chicken, with the roasting pan lid closed, at 500 F for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 450 F, roast another 20 minutes. Turn the oven down again to 425 F, roast for 10 minutes. Take the roasting pan out of the oven, remove the lid, and place back in the oven for the last 10 minutes.
Check the temperature in the largest part of the thigh, without allowing the thermometer to touch the bone. It should read 180 F.
For the gravy, pour the drippings into a saucepan, add enough chicken broth to make about 2 cups total, and bring to a boil. Stir together 2 tbsp corn starch and 1/4 cup cold water. Add to the boiling drippings, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the juice of a 1/4 lemon. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if needed.
3 comments:
Moni!!! My source of endless inspiration....a uniquely made book for your daughters wedding day... I love that idea!! The chicken doesn't look too bad either. :)
Riley is already asking for my recipes, too. She always wants to know how I know how to cook things. It's so much fun teaching our kids about cooking!
I have this odd dream about being the Grandma with the amazing food! It's a good thing there's lots of time to learn and practice before that happens :)
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