Another supper special that brings almost as much joy as a hearty, succulent roast chicken with beautifully caramelised roasted vegetables. Made with love and a great amount of butter, potatoes are, to my mind, a real example of the comfort food. And while there are an awful lot of tricks to perfectly cooking a bird—like wet brining, dry brining, spatchcocking—none of them happens without some planning ahead. But often I simply can't do it any more.
While glossily browned picture perfect chickens with skin browned to a lovely tinge of gold discourage me into employing modern techniques for roasting without regret today. This simple roast chicken is just that: simple. As far as preparation goes, there's no forward prognosis of the cook time, or unique ingredients that need to be found. You can buy a chicken, you can buy it from the grocery and go and cook it at home. Easy as that.
What We Do Not Need is Bells and Whistles
What I love most about this recipe is just how easy it is to prepare. That, and it means you end up with a perfectly good roast chicken. After many years of roasting chicken I have discovered that cooking at 400°F provides moist, juicy, and crispy skin without needing to baste or monitor the chicken constantly.
Don't have a roasting pan? No sweat, neither do I! This can be done in a Dutch oven which I prefer 5-quart or larger, any big cast-iron pot or a rimmed baking sheet.
I prefer placing a chicken on veggies when roasting as it raises the bird and ensures it cooks a little evenly and browns. Also, you can still participate in this indulgence by eating the schmaltzy vegetables as a side dish. Carrots, turnips, parsnips and potatoes, whole garlic cloves, large chunks of onion and fennel all fit the bill here. Nice if even a large diced apple is put there. Just spare whatever you have in whatever condition it is.
A Guide to Preparing a Delicious Whole Roast Chicken
Although this recipe is incredibly easy, there are certain factors which should be taken into account in order not to fail.
- Start with a good chicken: Organic is best and air chills are preferred. Less than four pounds makes it delicate, not more than five pounds is acceptable. Double check the sell by date It should be refrigerated; if frozen, be sure to defrost it in the fridge and it can take up to 2 days to do so.
- Season well: It is also important that the cavity is seasoned and the outer skin of the bird peppered with some salt. Even more flavor is added by stuffing the cavity with other aromatics.
- Watch the clock: The last thing anyone would want for a chicken is to overcook it. It is to be checked even earlier by using the following calculation in the recipe below. It will help you if it will be explained that the cook time might differ due to the capacity of your oven.
- Use a thermometer: In my view, this is not negotiable. The old wives tales of observing whether the juices runs clear is not very efficient, and neither is the feeling the chicken with ones fingers for doneness; a thermometer is the only way you'll know if the chicken is safe to consume without overcooking it.
- Give it a rest: And do not omit the resting time at the end of the straining process. Otherwise you have to cut into a boiling hot chicken and after dropping it half of its moisture content you have to burn your fingers. Besides, it will just take you the right amount of time to set the table put a salad on the table, open some wine.
- Make stock: Don't toss out those bones! After dinner remove all the uneven skin over the carcass and put the whole carcass in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze until you're ready to make chicken stock.
For Bonus Points, Use Butter
If you do not have the time, or feel like being even more lazy then you don't need to apply butter. Though, if your two handed time permits to spare another three minutes plus the willingness to get your hands dirty it makes loads of difference. This way it also lubricates the meat from within and tenderizes it as the butter under the skin melts and bums the meat.
Ingredients
- 1 (3 1/2 to 5 pound) whole chicken
- 5 cups coarsely chopped vegetables (1 to 1 1/2-inch) which include carrots, onions, potatoes, parsnip, fennel, butternut squash, and turnips.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium lemon, cut into 2 halves (if using a large lemon then 1/2 of it is enough)
- 1/2 of yellow or white onion, peeled and sliced into half moons
- 2 sprigs of rosemary or 1 small bunch of thyme, optional
- 3 tbsp butter, softened (optional)
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Position the rack with the middle of the oven. Take it out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a while unwrapped.
Prepare the pan:
Place the roughly chopped vegetables directly into the pot whether a Dutch oven, a roasting pan or a rimmed baking sheet sufficient to hold chicken. Mix with the oil and then sprinkle some amounts of salt and pepper. Utterly, and this even when it is in a layer of uniform distribution. If you're using roasting pan or sheet pan, position the vegetables to be slightly larger than the chicken so it can rest on top.
Prepare the chicken:
If you happened to buy a whole chicken, take out the giblets from the chicken's body and discard any fluid in the platters. Stuff firmly patting dry inside and out with Paper Towels.
Make sure to sprinkle cavity of chicken with generous amount of salt and pepper. Season with lemon, onion and rosemary or thyme if used. In the case of the butter, just loosen the skin covering the breast and rub them on the meat. Take any remaining butter and spread it on the palms of your hands then rub this onto the skin of the bird. Season with salt plentiful across all dishes and with pepper comparatively lesser. If you're using a salt cellar, this will be about 3 good pinches; if you're using a grinder, it's about 8 full turns of the grinder. If you don't season food this way, it will look like more salt than you are accustomed to consuming.
Fold the wings down so they give off the impression that they don't even exist. Put the chicken with the breast facing up, on top of the vegetables.
Simple Tip!
Make sure to closely monitor all that is in contact with the raw chicken and its dressing. Wash your hands regularly and wearing gloves while cleaning all the areas and using the sink, tools etc.
Roast:
Put the chicken into the oven and bake till the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165°F, this should take approximately 15 minutes per pound. This depends on the weight of your chicken, total cooking time ranging from 50 minutes to 1 hour and 40 minutes. You need to begin checking them for doneness 10 minutes prior to the time indicated and then in intervals of 10 minutes if necessary. Timed it using a food thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the breast (without touching the bone) and of a thigh is exactly as desired. The two temperatures should reach at least 165°F as required by the USDA.
Simple Tip!
In my opinion, I fry the chicken until breast meat thermometer reaches 155 to 160 °F, for the drumsticks and thighs – at least 165 °F. When I leave it to rest, the internal temperature rises to the perfect 165 degrees Celsius to make sure that the white meat is not overcooked. If you are a little worried about it, just cook until you get up to the full 165°F.
Rest and serve:
Tent the bird lightly with foil and baste periodically with the pan juices; let the chicken sit for 20 to 30 minutes before carving (not necessary to cover). Take the lemon from the chicken and pour it over the vegetables. Serve alongside, if desired.
Refrigerated turkey meat will last for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Care for Echeveria Peacockii
Echeveria peacockii is a great option if you're seeking for a low-maintenance plant. These succulents may survive without watering, if they are placed in a bright, sunny area. In the spring or early summer, your Echeveria peacockii could even please you with a display of lovely pink blossoms. These beautiful, bell-shaped blooms have long stems that emerge from the center of the rosettes and bloom for two to three weeks.
Light
Sun-loving succulents like Echeveria peacockii need a lot of light to promote strong growth. Give them as much light as you can while growing plants inside, either via a window that faces south or west or under a grow lamp. Echeveria peacockii should be placed in areas that get some shelter from the sun's most intense rays when cultivated outdoors, particularly in hot climes where it may burn the fragile leaves.
Soil To prevent water from pooling around the roots of these succulents, they need potting soil that drains properly. The Echeveria peacockii thrives in commercially available cactus and succulent mixtures, or you may build your own at home with relative ease. To make a mix that is gritty, airy, and well-draining, combine equal portions of ordinary potting soil, coarse sand, and perlite.
Water
Although exceedingly drought-tolerant, Echeveria peacockii is sensitive to overwatering. Generally speaking, it is preferable to underwater these succulents as opposed to overwatering them. Between waterings, the soil should be given enough time to completely dry out. Keep water out of the rosette at all times.
Thermodynamics and Humidity
Echeveria peacockii, a native of Mexico, prefers warm, dry weather and cannot endure freezing. In USDA zones 9b through 11b, they may be grown outside all year round; otherwise, if you want to plant these succulents outside, you should put them in pots that you can bring inside during the winter.
Fertilizer
These Echeveria do not need routine fertilizer since they are used to thriving on subpar soils. In fact, over fertilization might actually have the opposite effect of what it is intended to achieve—leggy growth and fertilizer burn. However, to encourage healthy development during the active growing season, plants may profit from an annual application of cactus/succulent fertilizer in the early spring.
Echeveria Peacockii regrowth
Cuttings or leaves work best for propagating this Echeveria. To spread a plant by means of its leaves, carefully twist off one of the plant's healthy leaves, being sure to preserve the leaf's base. Put the leaf (or leaves) in a spot with strong, indirect light, on top of a soil mixture that drains well. Before watering, wait until roots start to emerge from the end of the leaf, and then water sparingly. You should see a little succulent sprouting at the end of the leaf after a few weeks. The old leaf will eventually die and fall off as the new succulent ages, at which time you may repot it and continue your regular maintenance routine.
A mature plant may sometimes produce offshoots, at which point it may be reproduced through cuttings. Separate the offshoots from the parent plant using a clean, sharp knife, and then let them alone for 24 hours so the wound may callus over. After that, put the cutting's stem in a soil mixture that drains well and set it in a spot that gets plenty of indirect light. After a few weeks, roots should start to emerge; at this time, you may start watering the cutting.
Echeveria Peacockii Potting and Repotting
Echeveria peacockii are slow-growing succulents with shallow root systems that don't need frequent repotting. Only once the succulent has outgrown its previous potting container can they be repotted; at that time, they may be moved up one pot size. Before repotting, make sure the soil is completely dry. Also, be cautious handling the root ball while repotting since the roots are quite fragile and brittle. Take out as much dirt as you can from the roots and replace it with fresh soil. To assist the new soil hold the roots in place around the roots, thoroughly water the freshly planted succulent.
Common diseases and pests
Echeveria peacockii are susceptible to certain common pests like scale and mealybugs but not any significant illnesses or pests. These succulents are prone to root rot because they are so sensitive to overwatering. To avoid overwatering, plant your Echeveria peacockii in a soil mixture that drains well and water only when the soil is completely dry.
