A scrumptious roasted chicken and vegetables has been a family favorite in many households for decades. At one time most women did not work outside the home and a large majority of their husbands were home on weekends. Roasted chicken became a traditional Sunday evening meal in many of these homes, particularly in the southern United States.
Tastes vary among individuals so the recipes that have developed over the years are numerous and there is a wide array of spices and herbs used. In some households the chicken is marinated and in others it is not. Accompanying vegetables widely vary as well. Stuffing is used by some cooks, not by others. The cooks who do prepare stuffing argue over whether it is best stuffed in the bird or made as a side dish.
Ultimately, regardless of what flavor sensations you would like to experience when the chicken debuts at the dining table, the best way to roast a chicken is breast down. Roasting the chicken breast down allows the juices to run to the breast and the result is a very tender chicken.
Use of a stoneware baker will intensify the tenderness if a the baker has a lid. The remaining choice is to decide if you want the chicken fall-off-the-bone tender or served whole. For those who prefer the beautiful golden brown skin of a roasted chicken, simply remove the lid and turn the chicken over for a few minutes under the broiler.
If using a stoneware baker with a lid, the chicken will be a tighter fit than in a traditional aluminum roaster. Halfway through the roasting process, remove the baker from the oven and drain off about half the liquid that has gathered in the baker. This liquid can be saved to prepare dressing, make dumplings, flavor rice, use in soup, or a dish of your choice.
Listed below are a few ways to vary the flavor of the chicken you roast.
GARLIC ROASTED CHICKEN
Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cool running water. Remove the packets found inside the cavities. Drain the water and pat the skin dry. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place the chicken first in the stoneware baker, breast side up. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Turn the chicken breast side down.
Crush two cloves of garlic and mince or run through a garlic press. Lift the skin on back of the chicken and rub the meat with a small amount of butter or olive oil. Push the minced garlic under the skin. Place the lid on the baker and place in the preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour.
At the end of an hour, remove from the oven to drain off fluid. Check the temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer. If it has reached 165 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, the meat is done.
At this point, if you want the chicken served whole, drain off all the fluid. Remove to a serving platter or turn the bird over and brown the skin under the broiler for a few minutes.
If you desire the meat so mouth watering tender it partially falls off the bone, only drain half the fluid from the baker and return to the oven one more hour. This will result in a delicious meal with leftovers that are divine for chicken sandwiches the following day.
HONEY BARBECUE ROASTED CHICKEN
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare the chicken for the baker as above.
Place the chicken, breast side down, in the stoneware baker. Put the lid on the baker and place the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Leave in the oven 40 minutes if serving whole, 1 hour if do not mind it partially falling off the bone.
Mix two cups of a dark, molasses type barbecue sauce and 2/3 cup of honey in a small mixing bowl. Stir until well combined.
If serving the chicken whole, drain all the fluid from the baker and pour the barbecue sauce over the chicken. Replace the lid and return to the oven for twenty to twenty-five minutes. If it does not matter to you whether it falls off the bone or not, let it roast in the barbecue sauce for an hour.
ORANGE ROASTED CHICKEN
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare the chicken for the baker as in the first recipe.
Place the chicken in the stoneware baker, breast side up, first. Loosen the skin from the meat. Lightly salt and pepper the outside of the chicken.
Place orange marmalade in a small bowl. Use your clean hands to rub the skin of the chicken with the marmalade. Rub marmalade underneath the skin, too. Turn the chicken over and repeat the process on the back side of the chicken. Leave the chicken breast side down and place the lid on the baker.
Place the chicken in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
As with the other two recipes, decide if you are serving the chicken whole or not and adjust your roasting time accordingly. Be sure to leave the chicken roasting, though, until it reaches 165-170 degrees Farhrenheit when checked with a meat thermometer. The orange marmalade will make a beautifully browned chicken if you choose to brown the skin.
Roasting your chicken breast down adds a quality of tenderness that is impossible to achieve when roasted breast side up. This alone improves the taste of your chicken. Varying the recipe used to flavor the chicken is sure to please your family and dinner guests.