There isn’t a whole lot else in this world that makes my tummy rumble than a gorgeous, perfectly golden, roast chicken.  They’re not difficult to roast, but I hear and read more complaints about “the fear of roasting a bird” than just about anything else.  Hence, this little post.  Especially useful for those who are uncomfortable with roasting a bird, this recipe for TWO birds instead of one saves the trouble of making another one any time soon.  Making a double batch will leave you with a lot of extra chicken.  This is perfect for sandwiches, chicken salad, chicken for pasta (Mmmm…pesto chicken pasta!), enchiladas, soup…  Roast chicken added to dishes is far superior to boiled or poached any day.  And the extra bones…well, there is a whole lotta homemade chicken stock ready to be made.

Double Roast Chicken

• Two medium size chicken
• Salt
• Pepper
• Optional: Unsalted Chicken Seasoning (my favorite is Kirkland’s Unsalted Savory)

Preheat oven to 450F.  No skimping on this, we’ll turn it down later.  The higher temperature helps cook the skin and seal in the juices, retaining much flavor.

Whether you choose to rinse the birds or not is entirely up to you.  Some say that not rinsing actually helps the flavor by leaving the chickens own juices to cook on it, and while I haven’t noticed too much of a difference, it’s a messy step to cut out, so I do not rinse (really, folks, it’s just chicken juice, not formaldehyde).  After unwrapping, I place the birds in a shallow roasting pan with a rack in it, tilt them up and sprinkle the cavity liberally with salt, pepper, and whatever other seasonings I’ve chosen to add.  If I’m using other seasonings, I like to avoid those with salt in them or just use my own individual herbs and spices so I can control the amount of salt better by adding it separately.  After the inside is seasoned, truss the birds.  Trussing a chicken simply helps hold the bird together to cook more evenly.  After they’re trussed, I season the outside.  Then add about a cup of water to the pan beneath the chicken.  Sometimes, instead of water, I use my favorite white wine to give it a subtle but more sophisticated taste.  Pop into a well-preheated oven, close the door, and set a timer for 25 minutes.  Leave the birds alone.  Less is more.  Go do something else.  Don’t open the oven door, which will change the temperature inside the oven.  Really - don’t open it.  After your timer goes off, turn the heat down to 375F (without opening the oven) and set the timer for 35 more minutes.  Again, leave the stinkin’ birds alone.  They’re not lonely.  They don’t need comforting.  Give them some peace before you cut them up, please.  After the timer goes off, then you can open the door to stick a (preferably instant read) thermometer in their thighs, if you’re not sure if they’re done or not.  Once they’ve reached 160-165F, take them out of the oven and tent them with foil.  They’ll continue to cook a bit.  Tenting will keep them warm while they very slowly cool and reabsorb their juices.  Leave them like this for no less than 10 minutes.  I leave them like this while I start the sides (yes, this is when I start my mashed potatoes and no, the chicken is not served cold).  Don’t cut into any meat fresh from the oven or all the juices will run out.  This step makes a world of a difference in the end product - especially if you’ve accidentally overcooked it.  Carve the bird when everything else is ready to be served and you’re all set!  If you’re not eating the bird for dinner, you can pick the bones now or later - your choice.  As you’re storing everything, be sure to save the pan drippings, bones, and any extra skin for stock!  If I’m not ready to make stock right away, a large freezer bag works nicely to store these extras in the freezer.  Sometimes, I’ll wait until I have a few birds in bags to throw into my big, huge, beast of a stock pot.

Tips and Tricks

• Buy yourself a true instant read thermometer. They’re not expensive and these cut down on the time you’ll have your meal out of the safe, hot oven.  I wouldn’t be without mine.
• Buy a couple of untreated terracotta  tiles to put in your oven.  They heat up and retain said heat, which means that when you open the oven, it returns back to its cooking temperature faster.  They’re also awesome to bake bread and pizza on.
• Don’t open the oven door to “check on” the bird until the very end.  The bird is fine, let it cook.  If you discover that you’ve cooked it a bit too much this time, make a note of that and reduce the time accordingly next time.  Usually only five or ten minutes less is perfect.  On the flip side, if you’ve found that the bird is not done enough, pop it back into the hot oven for another ten minutes or so and check the temperature again.  Then, make a note of the increased time for next time.
• If all else fails, remote thermometers are your friend.  Plug it in, set the desired temperature and wait for the gadget to alert you.  Just be sure to set the temperature a little below the done temperature as it will continue to cook a bit after you take it out of the oven.

Next up…Chicken Salad and Chicken Stock!

And they freeze beautifully, too.  :)

1 5 pound bag of gold potatoes (Yukon Golds are my preference)
1 cup milk (I used skim to fluff up the fairly heavy taters)
1 tsp salt (the chicken bouillon should have plenty already)
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon (such as “Better than Bouillon” refrigerated buillon)
1/2 cup roasted garlic cloves (we buy a bulk jar of peeled cloves, roast them, and keep them in the fridge)

Peel and boil the potatoes until they are very, very soft.  If you don’t want to peel them, buy a food mill/ricer.  I don’t mind peeling, so I don’t have one, but apparently, you just pick the skin out of the ricer after you’ve squeezed the potato through the mill.  You want to cook “yellow potatoes” a bit more than “just done.”  Otherwise, they’ll have a slightly grainy texture.  The extra cooking makes them nice and smooth.  It takes me about 40 minutes to boil five pounds of potatoes cut into inch chunks on my glass cooktop.  Adjust accordingly for coil or gas cooktops.

After they’re about to fall apart (we’re not going for potato soup here!), drain them, add the remaining ingredients and mash well.  Stand mixers are wonderful for this.

A normal serving around this house is about a cup per person.  Less if we have additional sides.  This should make about ten cups of mashed potatoes.  Wonderfully, heavenly, blissfully, outrageously yummy mashed potatoes.

The only tape in the house was painters tape.

This makes four loaves of meatloaf.

6 pounds ground meat*
1 cup minced onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon horseradish
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons dry mustard
1 tablespoon garlic (we roast a bunch and keep it in the fridge - this is what I used)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs

In a large bowl, mash together everything except the bread crumbs.  After all is mixed well, add bread crumbs and mix until just combined.  Divide into four loaf pans, lined with plastic or freezer wrap, pat smooth into a loaf shape, and wrap snugly.  Label and put loaf pans in freezer.  Once frozen, remove from loaf pans and return to freezer.

To cook, thaw and bake at 350F for 1 hour or until center reaches about 160F.  Cooking may take place in the pan it was formed in or, my preference, on a roast pan with rack to allow the grease to drain away for use in gravy.  I place a piece of parchment or waxed paper underneath to prevent the loaf from falling through the rack in the early stages of cooking.

* Meatloaf is best made with a combination of meat such as beef, pork, and veal, or just beef and pork.