I picked up this easy roasted chicken technique from Michael Ruhlman in his brilliant Ruhlman’s Twenty
1. It’s dirt simple
The total ingredients you will need include chicken, salt, and pepper. I usually like to stuff mine with lemon and onion, but even that is not necessary. Also, when it comes to the oven temperature you just set it and forget it. No midway cooking adjustments are required. I set my oven temperature at 425 degrees on convection, but use 450 degrees for a standard oven.
2. It uses a cast iron skillet
Have I mentioned that I love my cast iron skillet? No only does it help me feel like a man while I’m busying myself about the kitchen (even if I am wearing a frilly apron at the time) but it works amazingly well at evenly cooking the chicken. The skillet also makes for great presentation. When you set that cast iron chariot containing a golden bird in front of everyone at your dinner table, they will be impressed.
3. It tastes amazing
Not only does this technique result in a great looking bird, more importantly you will find yourself with a great tasting bird- crispy skin and moist, tender meat. Make sure to salt and pepper the crap out of it, especially inside the cavity. And don’t be afraid of the trussing part. It’s really not that hard and it is essential if you don’t want the chicken to dry out. If you’ve never done it before, here’s a helpful tutorial on how to truss a chicken.
On to the video…
Easy Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-4 lb chicken neck and gizzards removed
- 1 medium onion quarted
- 1 lemon quarted
- Sea salt
- black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees on the convection setting or 450 degrees standard.
- Rinse the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Season the cavity generously with salt and pepper. Stuff it with the onion and lemon quarters.
- Truss the chicken and season the outside generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken in a large cast iron skillet and roast for approximately one hour, until the juices run clear.
- Remove from the oven and let the chicken rest for about 10-15 minutes. Carve and enjoy!
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