Another embarrassingly dumb question (roasting a whole chicken)

:o Hands up I admit it, I'm 26 and I've never roasted a chicken in my life.

I always buy chicken breasts as I'm terrified of trying to cook a chicken and killing everyone or something.

However been reading all the rubber chicken threads and was inspired so...

I have a chicken, he's in my fridge just now destined for the oven on Friday.

What do I do? Need a basic idiots guide from taking him out of the plastic to serving him and all steps in between. Does foil feature? I vaguely remember mother doing something with butter on the skin, and pulling bags of grossness out of the cavity. She also had a thermometer to stick in his bum but I don't have anything that fancy.

He's 2.348kg(quite a big guy for the 2 of us). Please help me.

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Comments

  • tigerlily
    tigerlily Posts: 1,228 Forumite
    OK...firstly, dont panic!!

    The cooking instructions will be on the label, but to be honest I just stick it in the oven at 200 till the juices run clear.

    This is just how I do it, rightly or wrongly!!
    Firstly put the oven on to heat up
    After taking the chicken out of the wrapping I rinse it under the cold tap, inside and out then drain it on some kitchen towel.
    At the high end of the top of the chicken it is possible to get a flat palm between the skin and the breat meat. If you are happy to do this make a pocket under the skin with your fingers being careful not to break through the skin as you go and fill with a THIN layer of butter.
    I put some mixed herbs, salt and pepper over the top then a couple of rashers of bacon. I usually put a whole lemon into the cavity for flavour aswell. Make sure you peirce the lemon with a fork several times before putting it into the chicken as exploding lemon is no fun.......I found that out the hard way!!
    Put the chicken into a roasting pan and put into the oven when it reaches the correct teperature.
    I usually allow about 1.5 hours but do check on it a few times and adjust the temperature if needed. When you think it is cooked stick a skewer into the deepest parts of the fleash, if the juices which come out are clear then its cooked!!

    All the best with your first roast chicken!!
    Debt free = December 2010...as of March 2006 it is now January 2010..... as of December 2008 it is now December 2009 :j hopefully sooner!!
    :jDEBT FREE:j January 2012, took longer but I got there, all by myself, through sheer hard work and pride!
  • tigerlily wrote: »
    OK...firstly, dont panic!!

    The cooking instructions will be on the label, but to be honest I just stick it in the oven at 200 till the juices run clear.

    This is just how I do it, rightly or wrongly!!
    Firstly put the oven on to heat up
    After taking the chicken out of the wrapping I rinse it under the cold tap, inside and out then drain it on some kitchen towel.
    At the high end of the top it is possible to get a flat palm between the skin and the breat meat. If you are happy to do this make a pocket under the skin with your fingers being careful not to break through the skin as you go and fill with a thin layer of butter.
    I put some mixed herbs, salt and pepper over the top then a couple of rashers of bacon. I usually put a whole lemon into the cavity for flavour aswell. Make sure you peirce the lemon with a fork several times before putting it into the chicken as exploding lemon is no fun.......I found that out the hard way!!
    Put the chicken into a roasting pan and put into the oven when it reaches the correct teperature.
    I usually allow about 1.5 hours but do check on it a few times and adjust the temperature if needed. When you think it is cooked stick a skewer into the deepest parts of the fleash, if the juices which come out are clear then its cooked!!


    You make it sound so easy! I'm so scared of chicken it's really quite pathetic.
  • tigerlily
    tigerlily Posts: 1,228 Forumite
    Really, dont be. You will be fine and I am sure others here will have many more hints and tips to give you aswell.
    Debt free = December 2010...as of March 2006 it is now January 2010..... as of December 2008 it is now December 2009 :j hopefully sooner!!
    :jDEBT FREE:j January 2012, took longer but I got there, all by myself, through sheer hard work and pride!
  • D&DD
    D&DD Posts: 4,405 Forumite
    Hi Sparklewing :D you'll be fine!!
    Now does it have a cooking time in a little circle on the front of the package?? Often now they have 'cooks in 1hr 10mins' etc somewhere on the front.
    What sort of oven do you have? Gas or electric and is it a fan or normal oven.
  • this will also come in useful to me as i dont have any idea how to cook a chicken either!!
    i am having to do all the cooking now as my H has injured his hand and cant cook.. so its a real learning curve for me to !!!
    thanks !!
  • squidge60
    squidge60 Posts: 1,129
    Combo Breaker First Post
    Forumite
    dont forget to remove the giblets and neck i remember yrs ago me and oh cooked a turkey for the first time and didnt realise yuks:rotfl:
  • First, make sure it's a free range chicken :o

    Rinse inside and out (be careful to wipe up any splashes near the sink with hot, soapy water).

    Most chickens nowadays are sold gutted so there should be an empty cavity inside it. Cut a lemon in half and stick it up its bum. Peel a few cloves of garlic and shove those up there too.

    Slice some thin slivers of garlic. Make tiny slits in the chicken skin all over with a sharp knife and push in the slivers of garlic. Rub all over with olive oil and sprinkle over a thick layer of mixed herbs. Cover loosely with silver foil and put in a pre-heated oven. Cooking time depends on the weight obviously, but the label should give you some idea. A chicken for two people normally takes at least an hour and a half, plus 20 minutes standing time (take out of oven and leave covered to allow the juices to settle in the meat). Make sure the juices run clear before you serve it (also, you can stick a knife in between the leg and side to check if the meat is cooked). During the cooking time, make sure you baste a couple of times(ie, drizzle the juices and oil that have collected in the roasting tin over the chicken).

    Really, it's easy. Once you've done it once or twice, you'll realise a roast is really a very easy meal. Once you've prepped, made sure the chicken and roast potatoes are in the oven and the veg is ready to go, you can b*gger off down the pub for a couple of hours and come back to a lovely meal!
  • squidge60 wrote: »
    dont forget to remove the giblets and neck i remember yrs ago me and oh cooked a turkey for the first time and didnt realise yuks:rotfl:

    Ok how do I do this? lol
  • D&DD wrote: »
    Hi Sparklewing :D you'll be fine!!
    Now does it have a cooking time in a little circle on the front of the package?? Often now they have 'cooks in 1hr 10mins' etc somewhere on the front.
    What sort of oven do you have? Gas or electric and is it a fan or normal oven.


    It's an electric oven no fan but it tends to speed cook stuff. It DOES have a time on it! Who'd have thunk it :o 2hrs 10 minutes apparently.
  • tigerlily
    tigerlily Posts: 1,228 Forumite
    Ok how do I do this? lol

    If they are there they will be in a plastic bag inside the cavity, not many chickens are sold with them nowadays...a shame as they make lovely gravy.
    Debt free = December 2010...as of March 2006 it is now January 2010..... as of December 2008 it is now December 2009 :j hopefully sooner!!
    :jDEBT FREE:j January 2012, took longer but I got there, all by myself, through sheer hard work and pride!
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