"it's amazing what we take for granted is what we miss the most. Now that your no longer with us, I miss your Sunday roast"
I used to love getting up on Sunday mornings as a kid and smell that oh so familiar aroma of a chicken roasting away. Probably my favourite of my mother's Sunday roast dinners. Mum normally timed our roast Sunday "dinner's" to be ready around noon. She loved to eat her lunch as close to mid-day as possible.
We would be called to the table, and always sat in anticipation as we watched mum cut up the chicken, finish off the gravy and pull the roast potatoes out of the oven and often swear at the Yorkshire puddings for not being quite ready. Needless to say there was always a fight for the skin, we all loved the roast chicken skin
A lot is written and talked about in regards to chickens; free range, corn fed, battery etc etc. Free range and corn fed are all well and good if your budget allows, and the corn fed ones really have a superb flavour. But for those that can't afford them, then all well and good. They may be rather bland and watery in flavour, but that is nothing that can't be fixed with the tips and ideas that follow.
From this basic method and idea, the possibilities are endless. To the butter you could add
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recipe - cheffie's buttered roast chicken
001 pc chicken
002 pc large potatoes
100 gm butter
003 pc garlic cloves
or
001 pc sage leaf bunch
or
1/2 cup corn kernals
I used to love getting up on Sunday mornings as a kid and smell that oh so familiar aroma of a chicken roasting away. Probably my favourite of my mother's Sunday roast dinners. Mum normally timed our roast Sunday "dinner's" to be ready around noon. She loved to eat her lunch as close to mid-day as possible.
We would be called to the table, and always sat in anticipation as we watched mum cut up the chicken, finish off the gravy and pull the roast potatoes out of the oven and often swear at the Yorkshire puddings for not being quite ready. Needless to say there was always a fight for the skin, we all loved the roast chicken skin
A lot is written and talked about in regards to chickens; free range, corn fed, battery etc etc. Free range and corn fed are all well and good if your budget allows, and the corn fed ones really have a superb flavour. But for those that can't afford them, then all well and good. They may be rather bland and watery in flavour, but that is nothing that can't be fixed with the tips and ideas that follow.
From this basic method and idea, the possibilities are endless. To the butter you could add
- your favourite herb
- your favourite pre-made Indian spice paste
- orange, lemon or lime zest
- pesto
- etc
_________________________________________________________________________________
recipe - cheffie's buttered roast chicken
001 pc chicken
002 pc large potatoes
100 gm butter
003 pc garlic cloves
or
001 pc sage leaf bunch
or
1/2 cup corn kernals
recipe - method of preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 200C
If the chicken is trussed with that elastic band string stuff, cut it off and discard it.
Chop the garlic finely, shred the sage leaves or blitz the corn in a food processor and beat together with the salted butter
From the cavity end of the chicken, carefully work your fingers between the skin and the breast to loosen it up and form an air pocket. Being careful not to rip the skin. Carefully push the herbed butter under the skin; as the chicken cooks the butter will melt and keep the breast moist and flavourful and the herbs will permeate the all chicken.
Cut the potatoes on half lengthways and place (flat side down) into a roasting tray and place the chicken on top. This will prevent the chicken from burning to the bottom, allows air to circulate and the potatoes can be served as part of the meal. Season the skin with salt and pepper.
Place into the oven and reduce the heat to 180C and allow to cook for approx 45 minutes (cover with lightly buttered tinfoil if needed to prevent burning). Remove from the oven and carefully cut the skin that connects the legs to the breast and push the legs down to expose the thigh joint(this is the last part of the chicken to cook, so if it is still pink, place back into the oven until fully cooked and blood free) By cutting and exposing at this stage, allows the heat to penetrate and finishes it off without overcooking and drying out the breast.
Remove from the oven, cover lightly with tin foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
next time - mum's pot roast beef .......
If the chicken is trussed with that elastic band string stuff, cut it off and discard it.
Chop the garlic finely, shred the sage leaves or blitz the corn in a food processor and beat together with the salted butter
From the cavity end of the chicken, carefully work your fingers between the skin and the breast to loosen it up and form an air pocket. Being careful not to rip the skin. Carefully push the herbed butter under the skin; as the chicken cooks the butter will melt and keep the breast moist and flavourful and the herbs will permeate the all chicken.
Cut the potatoes on half lengthways and place (flat side down) into a roasting tray and place the chicken on top. This will prevent the chicken from burning to the bottom, allows air to circulate and the potatoes can be served as part of the meal. Season the skin with salt and pepper.
Place into the oven and reduce the heat to 180C and allow to cook for approx 45 minutes (cover with lightly buttered tinfoil if needed to prevent burning). Remove from the oven and carefully cut the skin that connects the legs to the breast and push the legs down to expose the thigh joint(this is the last part of the chicken to cook, so if it is still pink, place back into the oven until fully cooked and blood free) By cutting and exposing at this stage, allows the heat to penetrate and finishes it off without overcooking and drying out the breast.
Remove from the oven, cover lightly with tin foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
next time - mum's pot roast beef .......
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