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Charlatan · 02-14-2006, 12:47 PM

I am fairly certain you can forgo this step. But, if you are serving a turkey (a big bird) you should make stuffing even if you don't like it. Your guests will more than likely expect it, and this stuffing is excellent as stuffings go.

When you are roasting a chicken, you don't have to stuff it. But you should fill it with herbs for flavour. Discard them after cooking.

By the way, make sure if you aren't going to stuff your bird that you check the caveties out. The gibblets and neck and all that stuff are usually in there. You don't want to leave them there. You want them for the gravy stock.

By the way... I just looked and MS has a roast chicken 101. I imagine it is as good as the turkey but have never tried it myself.

Roast Chicken 101

1. To ensure even cooking, let the chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting.

2. Discard any pop-up timers that come with the chicken; an instant-read thermometer gives a far more accurate reading.

3. Don’t forget to salt the cavity of the chicken; this will season the meat more effectively than salting the skin.

4. Stuff the cavity with aromatics like fresh herbs, garlic cloves, lemon wedges, and quartered onions to perfume the meat.

5. Arrange a single layer of onion slices in the bottom of the roasting pan to form a bed for the chicken. The onion will flavor both the chicken and the pan gravy, and it will prevent the chicken skin from sticking to the pan (or rack) and tearing.

6. Let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before carving; this allows the juices to collect in the meat instead of in the well of your cutting board.

How to Truss a Chicken
Trussing helps the chicken keep its shape and cook more evenly during roasting. While traditional trussing involves tying the whole body of the chicken together, it is much easier just to tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

Perfect Roast Chicken
Serves 4

1 six-pound roasting chicken
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
1 lemon
3 large cloves garlic, peeled
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup Homemade Chicken Stock , or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat

1. Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside.

2. In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together.

3. Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180° and the thigh 190°.

4. Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve, and serve gravy on the side.

02-14-2006, 12:47 PM	#4 (permalink)
Charlatan Getting it. Super Moderator Location: Lion City	I am fairly certain you can forgo this step. But, if you are serving a turkey (a big bird) you should make stuffing even if you don't like it. Your guests will more than likely expect it, and this stuffing is excellent as stuffings go. When you are roasting a chicken, you don't have to stuff it. But you should fill it with herbs for flavour. Discard them after cooking. By the way, make sure if you aren't going to stuff your bird that you check the caveties out. The gibblets and neck and all that stuff are usually in there. You don't want to leave them there. You want them for the gravy stock. By the way... I just looked and MS has a roast chicken 101. I imagine it is as good as the turkey but have never tried it myself. Roast Chicken 101 1. To ensure even cooking, let the chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before roasting. 2. Discard any pop-up timers that come with the chicken; an instant-read thermometer gives a far more accurate reading. 3. Don’t forget to salt the cavity of the chicken; this will season the meat more effectively than salting the skin. 4. Stuff the cavity with aromatics like fresh herbs, garlic cloves, lemon wedges, and quartered onions to perfume the meat. 5. Arrange a single layer of onion slices in the bottom of the roasting pan to form a bed for the chicken. The onion will flavor both the chicken and the pan gravy, and it will prevent the chicken skin from sticking to the pan (or rack) and tearing. 6. Let the chicken rest for at least 15 minutes before carving; this allows the juices to collect in the meat instead of in the well of your cutting board. How to Truss a Chicken Trussing helps the chicken keep its shape and cook more evenly during roasting. While traditional trussing involves tying the whole body of the chicken together, it is much easier just to tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Perfect Roast Chicken Serves 4 1 six-pound roasting chicken 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 medium onions, peeled and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick 1 lemon 3 large cloves garlic, peeled 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 cup Homemade Chicken Stock , or canned low-sodium chicken broth, skimmed of fat 1. Let chicken and 1 tablespoon butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425°. Remove and discard the plastic pop-up timer from chicken if there is one. Remove the giblets and excess fat from the chicken cavity. Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water. Dry chicken thoroughly with paper towels. Tuck the wing tips under the body. Sprinkle the cavity of the chicken liberally with salt and pepper, and set aside. 2. In the center of a heavy-duty roasting pan, place onion slices in two rows, touching. Place the palm of your hand on top of lemon and, pressing down, roll lemon back and forth several times. This softens the lemon and allows the juice to flow more freely. Pierce entire surface of lemon with a fork. Using the side of a large knife, gently press on garlic cloves to open slightly. Insert garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and lemon into cavity. Place chicken in pan, on onion slices. Cut about 18 inches of kitchen twine, bring chicken legs forward, cross them, and tie together. 3. Spread the softened butter over entire surface of chicken, and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Place in the oven, and roast until skin is deep golden brown and crisp and the juices run clear when pierced, about 1 1/2 hours. When chicken seems done, insert an instant-read thermometer into the breast, then the thigh. The breast temperature should read 180° and the thigh 190°. 4. Remove chicken from oven, and transfer to a cutting board with a well. Let chicken stand 10 to 15 minutes so the juices settle. Meanwhile, pour the pan drippings into a shallow bowl or fat separator, and leave onions in the pan. Leave any brown baked-on bits in the bottom of the roasting pan, and remove and discard any blackened bits. Using a large spoon or fat separator, skim off and discard as much fat as possible. Pour the remaining drippings and the juices that have collected under the resting chicken back into the roasting pan. Place on the stove over medium-high heat to cook, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock, raise heat to high, and, using a wooden spoon, stir up and combine the brown bits with the stock until the liquid is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Strain the gravy into a small bowl, pressing on onions to extract any liquid. Discard onions, and stir in the remaining tablespoon of cold butter until melted and incorporated. Untie the legs, and remove and discard garlic, thyme, and lemon. Carve, and serve gravy on the side. __________________ "My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars." - Old Man Luedecke