FLAT ROAST CHICKEN

1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds,

backbone removed

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius. Using kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove. Reserve it for broth. Open the chicken’s legs and spread the bird down flat, skin side up. Press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. Pat it dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper generously on both sides.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet such as cast iron on high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Immediately add the chicken, skin side down.

Allow to brown (without moving) for 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over, careful not to break the skin, and transfer the skillet to the oven.

The chicken is done when it is golden- brown and cooked through, 40 to 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part, not touching bone, should read 75 degrees celsius.

Remove the chicken to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan drippings and swirl around.

Meanwhile, whisk together the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, the red-pepper flakes, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cut the chicken into pieces, drizzle with the fresh lemon sauce and pan sauce, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Chicken is one of the most used meats in Australia. It is versatile, easy, and inexpensive. Almost every family member loves chicken. And chicken is always a good choice when entertaining. This recipe for a roasted chicken with a delicious apple-sausage stuffing makes a great family meal or is perfect for company. It is easy to make, get in the oven and mostly forget. It needs very little attention giving you the time to make side dishes and a dessert. Make this treat for family and/or friends soon.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH APPLE-SAUSAGE STUFFING
1/4 lb bulk pork sausage
1 roasting chicken (about 3 1/2 lbs)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped green onions
3/4 cup herb-seasoned croutons
1/4 cup chopped peeled apple
1 tbsp raisins
2 tbsp chicken broth
1 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degree.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; add sausage. Cook, stirring continually, until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes.
3. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat; add green onions. Saute until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in croutons, apple, raisins, broth and sausage. Mix well.
4. Sprinkle the inside of the chicken with half of the salt. Fill cavity with stuffing; close with skewers. Sprinkle outside of chicken with remaining salt. Place chicken, breast side down in a roasting pan.
5. Roast chicken for 30 minutes; turn breast up. Roast, basting frequently, until a meat thermometer registers 185 degrees or until the juices run clear when meat is pierced with a fork, about another 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda’s recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com
For her old fashion recipe collection visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com

About Linda:
Linda is a wife and grandmother in North Texas. She and her husband Steve have three children and 7 grandchildren. She is diabetic and is devoted to helping other diabetics enjoy food and stay healthy. She has a very large cookbook and recipe collection that she has inherited and collected over the years. She loves sharing her recipes with others. Her favorite pastime is cooking with her grandchildren and watching The Food Network with her 4-year-old granddaughter.

Although cooking chicken can be a simple task, there are many determining factors that lead to a perfectly juicy and tender well cooked bird. Chicken is probably one of the most popular meats around for it offers a range of versatility and possibilities! You can boil it, grill it, broil it, bake it, roast it, fry it, sauté it, rotisserie it and stir fry it and always end up with a delicious meal. However, one of the big challenges with chicken is that it must always be well cooked to prevent food borne illnesses. You can never eat chicken rare or medium rare. If the meat is pink cook it longer. Raw chicken can make you very sick. OK, so why is this such a big deal? It’s a big deal because chicken, specially the white meat breast area, tends to be overcooked and dry. It does not have to be! I would like to concentrate on roasted whole chickens in this article as these seem to be the ones that are hardest to perfect. Because of the way a chicken is shaped, it is very easy to end up with overcooked, stringy breast meat; undercooked leg and thigh meat; and inedible, chewy skin.A well roasted chicken should have juicy tender breast meat, fully cooked dark meat and perfectly crisp and well seasoned skin. So how do we end up with such a wonderful production? The very first thing you need to do is preheat your oven with the roasting pan inside. Keep the rack out of the oven to use later. Since everyone’s oven is different I would say a good rule of thumb is to heat it for a good 20 minutes before you start roasting. I have roasted many a chicken in my life and I can tell you that 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius) is where my chicken has come out with the best results. Higher heat cooks the bird faster but tends to scorch the skin and dry up the meat; lower heat – slow and low in the beginning and high in the end – ends up in dry meat as well. So, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and let’s get the chicken ready! Remove the giblets and the neck from the cavity. Unless you are planning on using them (let’s say to make gravy for instance) throw them away. Wash the chicken inside and out and pat dry it well. You want nicely dried chicken skin. Next, trim off the excess fat. Throw that away. Starting at the neck, insert your fingers under the skin and gently push away the skin from the breast meat. Generously season the inside and outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.

Melt some butter in a pan or microwave and brush melted butter directly on the breast and on the skin. Place the chicken sideways on the roasting rack. Open the oven and place the rack into the roasting pan. Cook it like this for 20 minutes. Flip the chicken on to its other side and cook for an extra 20 minutes. Finally, turn the chicken onto its back, breast meat up and cook for an additional 20 minutes. You need to make sure the internal temperature is 165 to 170 degrees. Another way to check it is by pulling the thigh away from the body. If the juices run clear and not pink or red, the chicken is probably done. The average roasting chicken is between 3 and 3 ½ pounds. This will render approximately 3 to 3 ½ cups of cooked meat. I am assuming that you will be roasting a whole chicken and not a butterflied one- a chicken who has had the backbone removed. Butterflied chicken will cook faster. At any rate, if you are roasting a larger bird make sure to adjust the cooking time. 20 to 25 minutes per pound is a great rule of thumb!

Good luck!

Mary Ann Allen, The Frugal Chef, is dedicated to show people how to eat well without spending a fortune. Her website http://www.TheFrugalChef.com is loaded with free recipes, cooking videos and tips on how to save money without sacrificing nutrition and flavor!

This roast chicken recipe is very easy to prepare and deliciously tasty. It will serve 4 people. The preparation time is just 10 minutes and cooking time is approximately 1 hour and 40 mins.

• Serves: 4
• Preparation time: 10 minutes
• Cooking time: 1 hour and 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken that weighs about 1.75Kg
• 3 cloves of garlic, halved
• 2 tablespoons of softened butter
• 7 grams of fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 lemon, quartered

Gravy

• 1 tablespoon of redcurrant jelly
• 1 tablespoon of corn flour
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Halve the garlic cloves. With the cut side, rub all over the chicken. Crush the remainder of the garlic. Mash the crushed garlic with the butter, thyme and freshly ground black pepper. Spread this over the top of the chicken. Quarter the lemon. Place 2 of the quarters in the cavity of the chicken.
2. Insert the chicken into a medium size-roasting bag. Seal the bag loosely. Slit the top of the bag 6 times. Place the bag and chicken into a small roasting tin. Cook for approx 1 hour and 40 minutes. The chicken is cooked when the meat is thoroughly cooked and the juice of the chicken runs clear when you pierce the thigh with a sharp knife. Remove the chicken from the bag. Keep the juices in the bag. Allow the chicken to stand.
3. Cut the corner of the bag and pour the juices into a pan. Stir in the redcurrant jelly. Mix the corn flour with cold water until it is a smooth paste. Gradually add it to the gravy. Bring to the boil slowly, constantly stirring. Add Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the gravy is thickened.
4. Carve the chicken. Serve and pour the gravy on top. Serve with roasted potatoes, beans, peas and/or carrots. You can add the potatoes to the roasting tin at the same time as the chicken. It is a good idea to partially boil the potatoes first. The beans can be boiled or steamed. The carrots can be boiled, steamed or roasted. The peas should be boiled.

We hope that you enjoy this roast chicken recipe. Roast chicken is a very easy dish to make, and a real treat and healthy.  There is nothing better then roast chicken on a Sunday afternoon with a few friends and / or family members.

Melissa George is the editor of Happy Eating, a community for people who are passionate about food. Find more recipes.

Easy dinner recipes make life so much easier for us.  As much as we want to make healthy food choices for ourselves and our families, busy lives sometimes makes it difficult. With a few easy dinner recipes in your recipe box it’s a cinch.

This is a complete meal that bakes in the oven at the same time. With just a little bit of preparation time you can pop the whole meal in the oven and go off to spend your time doing things other than stirring and watching. Come back in a bit and dinner’s done. Couldn’t be easier or more delicious.
Roast Chicken:

1 whole chicken, about 3lbs
butter
salt and pepper
1 whole bulb of garlic (optional), with the outside papery layers removed

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Wash and dry the chicken. Thoroughly rinse and dry the inside cavity as well. Salt and pepper the cavity and place the whole bulb of garlic inside.

Take your finger and slide it under the breast skin. Place dabs of butter in 2 or 3 spots on each side of the breast, under the skin. Take about 2 ounces of softened butter and spread it over the chicken with your fingers. Salt and pepper the outside of the chicken to taste.

Arrange the chicken in a covered roasting pan. Roast at 375ºF for about 1 1/2 hours, basting occasionally to keep it moist.

Carve and serve.
Roasted Root Vegetables:

Potatoes, peeled and cut into 2″ wedges
Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges or sliced straight across into thick slices
Sweet onions, peeled and cut into wedges
Carrots, peeled and cut into long thick sticks
Olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
Salt and pepper

Begin preparing the vegetables as soon as the chicken is in the oven.

Oil a 13″x9″ glass baking dish. Place the cut vegetables in the baking dish.

Drizzle oil over the vegetables and mix to coat them all. Salt and pepper the vegetables. Sprinkle dried rosemary over them.

When the chicken has been in the oven for 30 minutes, put the vegetables in. Roast the vegetables, uncovered, for about 1 hour, until all are soft. The onions will be a bit carmelized and nice and sweet.

Note: Try varying the vegetables in the mix. Parsnips would be nice as well. You can also add a bit of garlic if you are a garlic lover.

That’s it! Dinner’s ready!

Karen Ciancio is a cook and lover of all things food and cooking related. Her website http://www.cookingnook.com contains easy dinner recipes, plus lots of other recipes, cooking tips, measurement conversions and kitchen ideas.

Every now and then cooks run out of time and suddenly find themselves under pressure, with a meal looming and a hungry family impatient for their baked chicken dinner.

Stay cool. It does not have to take 60 minutes or more to roast a chicken, it just takes a little cunning and a fairly relaxed half an hour.

Well, alright, it will take 35 minutes, but it will still be roasted and will still be the entire chicken.

There are two methods you can use, one of which involves practically no work on your part at all. So let’s start with that one.

You need a 1.5kg (that’s about 3lbs) chicken or smaller. Mix together a little olive oil, some dark soy sauce, a teaspoon of paprika, a tablespoon of mixed dried herbs and two crushed cloves of garlic.

Paint this mix all over the chicken, then put it into a roasting bag and seal it by twisting the end of the bag and folding it under the chicken.

Punch a couple of holes in the bag and microwave on High for 30 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, leave the chicken in the microwave, without opening the door, for a further 5 minutes.

Be careful when you open the bag, just in case there is still some steam waiting to escape. It can burn you.

If you don’t like that idea, or you don’t have a microwave, then you can use a conventional oven preheated to 180°C, 350°F, but now you will have to joint your chicken.

Don’t worry, it’s easy. You simply cut it into quarters using either a sharp cook’s knife or kitchen shears. Start at the tail end with the chicken on its back and cut down through the parson’s nose. Now stand the chook on its neck with the backbone towards you and cut straight down, using the notch in the parson’s nose as your starting point.

Flatten out the bird, skin-side down, and cut from neck to tail, through the center of the gelatinous membrane that forms the breast-bone.

Finally, cut across the halves between the thigh and breast to make your quarters. You will easily see where to do this. It’s a natural cutting point.

Place the pieces skin-side up in a roasting tin large enough to hold them without overlapping, brush them with the mixture given above, and bake for 30 minutes, basting once.

For the last five minutes turn the oven heat to full, which will help to give a crisper finish. You can miss out this step if you intend to discard the skin.

As always with roasted meat, once the cooking time is over keep the chicken warm but let it stand for five minutes before carving. This lets it relax and allows the juices to spread evenly throughout the joint.

When you carve the breast, instead of slicing it lengthways as you normally would, remove it from the bone in one piece and then slice it at a slight angle, starting at the neck end and working back. You can joint the legs in the usual way.

About Michael:

Michael Sheridan is an acknowledged authority and published writer on cooking matters. His website at http://thecoolcook.com contains a wealth of information, hints, tips and recipes for busy home cooks.

Michael Sheridan began his cooking career washing dishes and peeling potatoes in French restaurants to pay for a tour of Europe in the Seventies. He graduated to sous-chef one dizzy night when the restaurant was full and the real chef had disappeared – into a swollen river it turned out.

That was the start of a love affair with food that lasts to this day. Former head chef of the Pierre Victoire restaurant in London’s busy West End, Michael now treats his passion as a hobby while relaxing back home in Australia.

Constantly seeking new ideas, techniques and recipes, his informative articles are being widely used, as are his popular websites.

His approach to cooking is informal, simple and well within the grasp of the average family cook. While there is an emphasis on fresh produce, there is also an understanding of the modern cook’s need for speed. Don’t be surprised to find the microwave listed among his recipe ingredients.

Michael also makes use of convenience foods, adding a twist to disguise them from all but the most discerning palate. And he is very aware that the home cook’s greatest critic tends to be under eight years old!