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rinabeana on 7.5.2010
This is now my go-to roast chicken recipe. I always use lots of fresh herbs if I have them!
Perfect Roast Chicken
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Description
The secret is in the brine and the bed of onions.
Ingredients
- 1 gallon Water
- ½ cups Kosher Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- 1 whole Chicken
- ½ whole Lemon
- 2 whole Cloves
- 4 cloves Garlic, Peeled
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 teaspoon Salt And Pepper, to taste
- 1 whole Yellow Onion, Sliced
Preparation
Brining poultry is an easy and relatively foolproof way to ensure you end up with a juicy, succulent bird.
The brine is simple: mix 1/2 cup kosher salt and 2 tbsp. sugar in a gallon of water. I recommend lining a large pot or bucket with a plastic bag first, then adding the chicken, tying the bag to prevent any leaks. You can brine for as little as an hour to as long as overnight. In this case, I brined the chicken for about five hours.
After removing the chicken from the brine, give it a thorough rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the inside of the bird with salt and pepper. Next, slice a lemon in half and pierce the lemon with two whole cloves. Add the lemon to the cavity. Peel four cloves of garlic and add to the cavity as well. If you have fresh herbs on hand, they would make a great addition.
Next, carefully slide your hand in between the skin of the chicken and the breast to create a pocket. Add a tablespoon of butter to each breast and massage the butter into the chicken. Use any remaining butter to rub over the top of the chicken. Generously season with salt and pepper. Finally, tie the legs of the chicken together using kitchen string or twine. Set aside.
Meanwhile, thinly slice one large yellow onion and line the bottom of a roasting pan or glass baking dish with the slices.
Gently position the chicken on top of the onion slices.
Roast at 450 degrees for 50 minutes (3-4 lb. chicken) to 1 1/2 hours (5-6 lb. chicken) or until the juices run clear and the breast temperature measures 180 degrees.
Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
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7 Comments
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Jenelle Miller on 4.25.2010
this was really good, and for my first attempt at roasting a whole chicken, I was very pleased!
Cathy (oohber) on 1.23.2010
I made this last night using a 6.5 lb turkey breast. Turned out great!
rinabeana on 9.22.2009
I made this last weekend, never having roasted a chicken before. It’s a fantastic recipe and turned out deliciously! I have lots of fresh herbs and I used sage and thyme.
Traci Reed on 9.15.2009
Fantastic! Used some additional spices and threw some red potatoes in the baking dish to cook for the las 45 minutes, both were delicious!
eandksmom2 on 8.22.2009
Used this recipe the other night. Turned out wonderfully. Didn’t have the lemon, cloves, or garlic to add, so poured 1/2 bottle of beer into roasting dish. Fabulous! Used the broth and leftover chicken the next day for chicken and dumplings. Will never bake another chicken without brining first. Makes a real difference.