Baking an entire chicken it can be in some cases challenging. Also I had a number of troubles while I tested the first instances, however I can brag now that I make the very best baked chicken on earth. More delicious than the one at the restaurant!
In order to make this mouth-watering restaurant recipe I simply respect a number of these 5 steps:
STEP 1: Buy a chicken
Obtain a decent dimension chicken and after you unpack the plastic bag give it a good wash under cold water.
Be sure you also rinse the cavity of the chicken!
You can also use a frozen chicken if you have one within the fridge freezer.
Tip: I’m not defrosting the chicken inside the microwave because it tends to dry the meat and it’ll have a totally different taste. Instead, I fill a pot with warm water and sink the frozen chicken in that water. Make sure you have a sufficiently big pot chicken can be wholly under water. In an hour the poultry will be unfroze. After that I’ll give him a very good rinse in water (also on the inside) and let’s go on to the next stage.
Tip 2: Also I add 2 teaspoons of salt within the water. It should tender the icy meat.
STEP Two: Seasoning – here comes the enjoyable part!
You can use here simply a little bit of salt and certain herbs purchased in your local supermarket, however I like to be creative. First of all I pour some organic olive oil on the whole chicken. You can also use sunflower oil however I like essential olive oil better. Then I use a paper wipe and take away the extra organic olive oil. In this way the spices will adhere better at the hen’s skin surface and that skin surface will as well have a better taste and it will be crisp.
For seasoning, the possibilities are endless!
I use a certain amount of finely ground black pepper, a bit paprika, ocean salt and also a number of fresh herbs: fresh basil leaves, rosemary, dill, thyme and parsley. I use exactly the same mix of herbs also for the cavity of the rooster. Also I lay a few garlic cloves in the cavity since I absolutely love garlic.
If you like a little heat you may also test something more exotic like: coriander applied inside the cavity of the chicken before baking it.
Tip: Place a fresh lemon in the chicken. The flavor of your poultry going to be enhanced and also the meat shall be kept moist. I learned that from renowned cooking masters Jamie Oliver:-D
STEP three: Bake the chicken
Preheat the oven at 165F (74 Celsius) and take a pan in which you put the chicken. Be sure that the pan is big enough so the cooking juices won’t spill in the oven. I use these juices to make a succulent sauce for the baked chicken.
Place the chicken in the oven and change the temperature to 350F (180 Celsius) for 50 minutes. This temperature depends on the chicken size. If you have a big chicken it is possible to increase the baking temperature but never break 400F or 205 Celsius because you would burn the chicken!
From time to time try out the chicken by using a fork, when the juice is clear means the chicken is baked.
Tip: after 35 minutes of baking I take out the pan from the oven and sprinkle several drops brandy on the chicken – very little!(we don’t need to get drunk 😀 ) If used correctly it will give him a fantastic taste! After that let the chicken bake in the oven for just a 1/4 hour.
Tip 2: I put some water in the pan and in that water I add two to three fresh lemons for the taste enhancement
Tip three: An internal temperature of at the very least 165 F (74 Celsius) is required to eradicate the micro organism
STEP 4: The sauce
After you removed the chicken out of oven you can make some dressing! At this point I’ll not make use of the sauce from the backed chicken.
As I said, I adore garlic:-D and for that I will do a sour cream and garlic dressing. For that I need 1 cup sour cream (low – fat), five garlic pieces (powdered), 1/2 tbs oregano, a pinch of black pepper as well as a teaspoon of lemon juice. Combine those together and after you have a good mixture pour a tbs of milk to simply make it creamier.
STEP five: Baked chicken – serving alternatives:
Although the chicken can be eaten great just like this, it is possible to add some taste to it if you add a garnish. Here the possibilities are endless. I love mine with sweet potatoes “nature” with butter as well as some parsley.
For more of my advices on how to bake chicken in the oven and baked chicken restaurant recipes go to how to bake chicken in the oven site.