Chick, chick chicken....
I love watching America’s Test Kitchen on PBS. Since I’m not a “trained” chef, these have been great resources for when I want to learn the best way to cook a dish or a new skill or technique. They make all the mistakes, test all the products and we get the unbiased delicious results. Case in point, a few weeks ago I was hanging out at my parent’s house (home of too many yummy meals to number!). My mom had America’s Test Kitchen on in the background, They were roasting chicken. Now I realize there is no shortage of recipes and how-to’s on roasting a bird. But many times I am resistant to roasting a whole bird. Lazy Lisa (my alter-ego who does not always feel like cooking after a full day of activities) has purchased a shameful number of mediocre rotisserie chickens from various grocery stores in the area. They are always under seasoned for my taste, and occasionally dry out when reheated. My husband’s solution is to slather it in barbecue sauce, but I digress. Enter the trusty cast iron skillet.
As I said, the show was on in the background. I said to Fannie (my mom) “they are roasting a chicken in a cast iron skillet…looks so good! She responded by asking me if I still had her cast iron skillet that she let me borrow. Borrow? I thought you gave it to me….the handle is broken but I still use it … but I’ll bring it back if you really want it. :-( As we debated about who is the true owner said cast iron skillet, I made a mental note to try the recipe at home while the skillet was still in my possession.
Can I just say yum, yum! It was really simple, crispy skin, well-seasoned and juicy. No barbecue sauce needed! Roasted some potatoes, sautéed spinach and voila, dinner is served! So about that skillet...can I keep it just a little while longer?
Here is their recipe…I brushed mine with a little butter and fresh lemon juice at the end, because butter makes everything better. But for the sake of your New Year’s resolution, you can skip the butter and keep the lemon. Enjoy!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) whole chicken, giblets discarded
Salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place 12-inch cast-iron skillet on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Meanwhile, combine 1 tablespoon oil, rosemary, and garlic in bowl; set aside.
2. With chicken breast side down, use kitchen shears to cut through bones on either side of backbone; discard backbone. Flip chicken over, tuck wingtips behind back, and press firmly on breastbone to flatten. Pat chicken dry with paper towels, then rub with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper.
3. When oven reaches 500 degrees, place chicken breast side down in hot skillet. Reduce oven temperature to 450 degrees and roast chicken until well browned, about 30 minutes.
4. Using potholders, remove skillet from oven. Being careful of hot skillet handle, gently flip chicken breast side up. Brush chicken with oil mixture, return skillet to oven, and continue to roast chicken until breast registers 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to carving board, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve chicken and serve.
