While waiting for some of my shows (GCB, Suits), let me post a little something about stuff (well, the ones that aren't too heavy boots for strangers I don't even know, anyway). First things first, how wonderful is Birdy's rendition of Shelter? I'm writing this down because I am listening to it as I type. I didn't have Birdy when I was in highschool but this is exactly the background music you want for young, immature love. This drivel about music, however, has nothing to do with my post--which is about food, glorious food, because my love affair with food is the only thing constant in my life.
We had roast chicken for dinner today and while roast chicken is one of the easiest things to make in the kitchen, I find that the variety in the method of cooking changes flavor, texture and overall satisfaction in just a snap. I didn't get to take a photo of today's chicken, but it was so delicious-looking in its beautiful, brown, salt and pepper specks here and there, glistening all over crispy skin that I now regret why I didn't. I have a tendency to repeat tried and tested recipes though, so this photo from two hundred plus days ago still works:
In any case, I'm sharing my choice recipe for roasted chicken. I like mine with the juiciness of an oven-roasted chicken and the crispy coating of a fried one. Incidentally, this kind of roast chicken is one of the easiest to achieve. For my recipe, I use a combination of garlic, lemongrass, thyme and oranges (instead of lemons). Here we go!
WHAT YOU NEED:
• one whole chicken, I used a 1.3 kg for tonight's dinner
• lemongrass, tied in a bunch + some thyme (I also add rosemary if it's available but I stay away from sage)
• garlic cloves (I used half a bulb)
• olive oil or butter (or a mix of both)
• salt and pepper
• 1 orange (I like it because its sweetish citrus flavor is a lot more subtle than lemons), which may be cut into big pieces or be left whole if it is small enough. Instead of tying the chicken legs by using twine, we'll just use a big orange to close the cavity of the chicken.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
• Take your chicken out of the fridge about an hour or so before it goes into the oven. What you want is a chicken that's completely defrosted.
• Preheat your oven to 240°C/475°F. I use a turbo broiler, you could use that as well.
• The secret to crispy skin is a chicken that's completely dry. Take a couple of kitchen towels and pat, pat, pat your bird dry. Make sure to pat all over, creases and crevices included. Hush, you dirty mind. It's just poultry.
• If you're feeling indulgent, use butter to rub the chicken all over. Follow with a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Season well, as this will give your chicken flavor. If you're not really into using butter as a rub, you can substitute olive oil instead. Drizzle, then season with salt and pepper, rub all over.
• For juicy meat, make a couple of incisions on the chicken surface. I do the sides, a small one in the center. You should cut through the skin but not through the meat. The slits should be about one and half inch long, allowing you to touch the meat underneath the skin. Insert dollops of butter and massage all over. The butter will spread inside, all over the chicken meat and it will keep your meat juicy while roasting. I know of a recipe that inserts bacon inside these pockets. Delicious but hehe, I won't even go there.
• Next, put the lemongrass and a couple of garlic cloves inside the cavity of the bird. I like to make tiny incisions in the cloves to release the flavor. I follow up with a sprinkling of thyme (because I don't have fresh ones, I use dried herbs) and then close it all up with a small orange, sliced in half. If you're using lemon instead, prick it all over and heat it up in the microwave a bit to bring out the flavor (I got this from Jaime O.!).
• Place the chicken in the roasting tray, breast side down. Some people like to place their chicken on top of chopped vegetables to ensure even cooking, but I don't really do that anymore. Turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F and cook the chicken for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, depending on the size of the bird. (HUUUSH, you!). No need to baste the chicken halfway, by the way.
When cooked, take the tray or the roasting rack out of the oven (or the broiler) and transfer the chicken to a plate. Let rest for 15 minutes or so before carving. (At this point, I hope we have reached an understanding that you are to discard the stuffing inside the chicken. If you're serving the chicken whole, I hope everyone knows this shouldn't be eaten.) Serve and enjoy.
WAIT, NO SAUCE?!
Some people like gravy with their chicken, I like eating mine pinoy style (with ketchup and worcestershire sauce), over steaming hot rice. Imagine this: your teeth sinking into the creamy, crispy brown skin and soft, juicy white meat, followed by a tangy hit of the worcestershire sauce and the sweet note of tomato ketchup, all lost in the lovely Asian kryptonite that is white rice. Ah, perfection. Don't knock it until you've tried it.
