I had a lot of fun with our grilled cheese discussion, and as I sit here writing this, I have a whole roasted chicken in the oven, about 5 minutes out from being done. I usually whole roast at least one chicken every few weeks. It's a great "Sunday Dinner" (which is usually my Monday or Tuesday), but it is also inexpensive and an ever evolving art form. There are many ways to roast a whole chicken and I want to know how you do it. I've done high temp, low temp, a mixture of the two and other obvious techniques like brining. I eventually want to do a whole roasted chicken video, but I wanted to give the "Stella Stars" an opportunity to chime in first.
It's intriguing how something as simple and rudimentary as roasting a whole chicken can be an on going quest for perfection. I think that's what cooking is all about.
So, do you....
- Use high heat, low heat or a mix?
- Brine? What type of brine? What salt percentage?
- Inject with brine, butter or marinade?
- Rub the meat under the skin with butter? Cut the skin flaps at the opening and place between the skin and breast?
- How do you season? Salt, pepper, herbs, oil, spices?
- To truss or not to truss?
- Do you stuff, make an au jus or serve with a gravy?
- What are you favorite sides for a whole roasted chicken?
- What am I missing? What's YOUR secret?
Looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say about one of my favorite subjects!