A chicken in every pot-

While generally ascribed to President Hoover,the phrase has its origins in France. Henry IV reputedly wished that each of his serfs would enjoy "a chicken in his pot every Sunday."

The chicken, while a common everyday food today, was considered a treat not even a generation ago. Agra-businesses have changed the common yardbird to a Frankenstein monster that can take just 14 weeks to be 6 lbs!

I was traveling through an older part of town a couple of days ago and stopped at a live poultry market. I picked up a free range, no antibiotic, no growth hormone fryer.

What a difference!






Brined for 12 hours, rested overnight, stuffed with savory cornbread stuffing, salt, pepper and EVOO slather.

Served with a baked potato and rocket salad.

Not bad for a Tuesday night.

Brined to remove blood?

Remember when I said I wasn't jealous over a chicken? Well, I take it back.

SHarris said:

Brined to remove blood?

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Soaking in brine will give you a more moist, tender, and flavorful bird.

I've recently been doing more whole chickens, but I'm having slight problems (more insecurities) knowing how well it's cooked.

What temperature should I roast at, until the bird is what temperature, and where should I put the meat thermometer to make sure I won't get any nasty surprises? I've got an in-oven digital read thermometer.

Mom and dad are vegetarian and not much help in this area

:thumbsdown: -1 for stuffing.

The bird looks BEAUTIFUL after cooking

My way of doing a Roast Chuck


Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Remove the bird from the fridge at least an hour before cooking it, ideally two or three. Take off any string trussing, place the bird in a roasting tin and spread out its legs from the body. Enlarge the opening of the cavity with your fingers so hot air can circulate inside the bird.

Put the butter in a bowl, throw in the herbs and garlic, and season generously. Mix together with your fingers, then smear all over the chicken, outside and in. Place in the centre of the hot oven and leave for 25-30 minutes (this is phase one). Baste the chicken, turn down the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4, pour the wine into the tin (not over the bird) and roast for another 35-50 minutes (phase two), depending on its size. (A good test for doneness is to pierce that part of the bird where the thigh joins the breast; the juices released should run clear.) Open the oven door, turn off the oven and leave the bird for 15-20 minutes to rest before carving. For a bigger bird, at the longer end of the cooking time, you may wish to protect the skin with buttered foil for, say, the first 20-30 minutes of phase two.

Carve the bird in the tin, as untidily as you please, letting the slices fall into the buttery juices, then take the whole thing to the table so people can help themselves.


1 plump organic roasting chicken, weighing around 2kg

50g soft butter

A couple of generous handfuls of fresh herbs, such as parsley, chives and marjoram, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

Salt and ground black pepper

½ glass white wine

Stolen verbatim from Hugh Fearnely-Whitingstall,this produces the best chicken ive ever cooked the first 20 min sizzle is a way i approach a lot of meat when i roast it now rather than at the end. Very simple as well which is a bonus i usually miss the white wine out

Gone are the days when I watched by Grandfather walk to the chicken yard and return with Sunday dinner.

I'm no animal rights shill, but I have to feel sorry for the birds given the way they are raised today.

I also feel a loss for us. Now our chicken is pumped full of growth hormones.

Jim said:

The chicken, while a common everyday food today, was considered a treat not even a generation ago.

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Very true. When I was a lad in the 50's/early 60's chicken was for Christmas only! The cheap meat back then was beef and lamb.

How times change. Haven't had lamb for quite a while as it costs a fortune here in Britain!

Same for salmon. Used to be a fish for the rich. Now with salmon farming it's cheaper an more plentiful that cod, hake etc. Dowsn't taste much good though!

Gareth

Confuzius said:

I've recently been doing more whole chickens, but I'm having slight problems (more insecurities) knowing how well it's cooked.

What temperature should I roast at, until the bird is what temperature, and where should I put the meat thermometer to make sure I won't get any nasty surprises? I've got an in-oven digital read thermometer.

Mom and dad are vegetarian and not much help in this area

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Pulled at 165 in the center of the breast and the thick part of the thigh, toward the bottom.
I roast at 425 for about an hour and a quarter.

Hawkeye5 said:

Gone are the days when I watched by Grandfather walk to the chicken yard and return with Sunday dinner.

I'm no animal rights shill, but I have to feel sorry for the birds given the way they are raised today.

I also feel a loss for us. Now our chicken is pumped full of growth hormones.

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The chemicals being pumped into our food is a real concern for me. I was hoping this is what the thread would focus on to some extent.

galopede said:

Very true. When I was a lad in the 50's/early 60's chicken was for Christmas only! The cheap meat back then was beef and lamb.

How times change. Haven't had lamb for quite a while as it costs a fortune here in Britain!

Same for salmon. Used to be a fish for the rich. Now with salmon farming it's cheaper an more plentiful that cod, hake etc. Dowsn't taste much good though!

Gareth

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The good old days were in our lifetime! Had I known I would have enjoyed my calf's liver more as a lad. Today I would not touch it what what with what they pump into the animals.

ouch said:

Remember when I said I wasn't jealous over a chicken? Well, I take it back.

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Would I lie to you?

Jim said:

Brined for 12 hours, rested overnight, ......

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That's a long brine -- I'll have to give it a try. I've never gone longer than six hours. Also would like to know your solution. I use 1 cup kosher salt & 1/2 cup sugar per gallon.

BTW, Perdue chicken livers are advertised as "hormone free." I hope that's true.

Pescara said:

That's a long brine -- I'll have to give it a try. I've never gone longer than six hours. Also would like to know your solution. I use 1 cup kosher salt & 1/2 cup sugar per gallon.

BTW, Perdue chicken livers are advertised as "hormone free." I hope that's true.

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About 3-4 tablespoons of salt in 2 qts water. I use 1/4 cup salt and 2 tablespoons sugar/gal water in turkey brine- but not chicken brine.

In Canada steroids and hormones have been banned in the production of chicken we eat since the 60's.

Dinner looks great Jim.

Alacrity59 said:

In Canada steroids and hormones have been banned in the production of chicken we eat since the 60's.

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Thats got to be nice. The chicken that I eat today tastes nothing like the chicken I ate as a boy/young man.

Hawkeye5 said:

I'm no animal rights shill, but I have to feel sorry for the birds given the way they are raised today.

I also feel a loss for us. Now our chicken is pumped full of growth hormones.

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+1. It is just horrible. If anyone ever gets the chance, Jamie Oliver did a good series on how our commercial chicken/pigs are raised for farming. A real eye opener.

rm71 said:

+1. It is just horrible. If anyone ever gets the chance, Jamie Oliver did a good series on how our commercial chicken/pigs are raised for farming. A real eye opener.

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+1

Saw that, I think everyone should see and know how everything is done...

I worked on a chicken farm for a summer. I didn't eat much chicken when I was done there...

I get free range, hormone free chicken... Best stuff I ever had... Eggs too...

Jim said:

I roast at 425 for about an hour and a quarter.

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That's exactly what I shoot for. I find that time/temp combo puts me close to the small "window".

ouch said:

That's exactly what I shoot for. I find that time/temp combo puts me close to the small "window".

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That chicken looks awesome, Jim! I do a rotisserie chicken over a charcoal grill at about 425 to 450 for about 1 hour to an hour and a quarter. Never fails to come out juicy and moist.

Chicken looks great! And I have to admit, the chemicals and things are something I have been becoming increasingly concerned with myself. The problem is, the industry has us by the jugular. My wife and I don't make much money and live paycheck to paycheck, like most here do. To eat healthy is so stinking expensive now days. If you can't grow it yourself, you are going to spend a small fortune on food.