THE MOST ROAST CHICKEN
I think it’s very sexy when men cook. ~Wendy Liebman (1961- )
WHO’S GAME?
Ready for something substantial that will do more to further your cooking confidence than any other single dish? Stop Blogging & Cook gives you chicken and gravy and a chance to show you what beginners can do.
Leftover is American English for I’m too tired to cook but boy, am I glad I made a little extra last night!
This is a dish that I learned from Grandma that we had about once a week. I’m afraid to tell you how often I have this because it is so good and easy and makes wonderful leftovers for dinner or lunch. Gravy is not difficult, it only takes a little understanding. First of all, onions are essential. They brown in the pan while the meat is cooking and are the essential ingredients that begins the gravy-making process. If you think that you’ve messed up and that the onions are a burned mess, stay with me here, because what you see with your eyes is not the whole gravy story. Another essential, I think, is wine. It is possible to make gravy without wine, but I don’t find it to be as good, but don’t let lack of tolerance for this ingredient to stand in the way of making gravy. Just omit the wine, if you must.
We’re going to be dealing with dark meat, the leg & thigh quarters because it is not as prone to overcooking as white. You’ll get better, more consistently moist results, and the cooking time is a little more forgiving for dark meat. A whole chicken breast takes almost no time to cook – and split breasts even less – not nearly enough time to brown the onions, an essential component in gravy making. We’ll cook a chicken breast on another day.
ON TO MARKET!
At the butcher, make sure your leg & thigh quarters are on the large side and have the backbone removed. You’ll pay a little more, but there is nothing more annoying than fighting with oddly-shaped chicken bones during a romantic dinner. If you want to go all out, have the butcher bone the quarters, keeping the leg and thigh in one piece (and bring home the bones for the stock pot). No mussin’ or fussin’ during the eatin’ portion of the evening.
The best pan for roasting a chicken is the bottom of the enamel two-piece broiler pan that comes with your oven. It’s shallow and can hold four good-sized leg & thigh quarters. Otherwise, a large oven-proof skillet will do. I do not recommend a cast iron skillet as it leaves a metallic flavor in some foods. And do not use oven glassware because it cannot be used on the stove and that’s where the gravy is made. If you need to buy a pan, the broiler pan is the best bet. It’s a versatile piece of equipment that will come in handy, and enamel is easy to clean.
IS IT DONE YET?
Insert the tip of a paring knife into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone. When the juices run clear yellow, it’s done. If the juices are red or pink, it needs more time. Don’t test until they have been baking for at least 45 minutes as the juices will not yet have begun to run. When done, remove chicken to a platter and begin the gravy in the roasting pan.
When the breast of a whole chicken – or a turkey – is done you will find that the thigh is not, and therein is the problem with cooking a whole bird. I prefer to cook it just until the breast is done, then carve the breast and wings and return the dark meat quarters to the oven for an additional 10 – 15 minutes. Or, if only serving the breast, you can then have the dark meat for leftovers the next night – or for lunch! – reheating it and finishing the cooking at the same time. But we’re focusing on leg & thigh quarters here because it is easier. It’s important that your first roasted chicken is a success. A whole bird will come later.
WHERE DOES THE GRAVY COME FROM?
The juice from the cooking chicken seeps out of the meat into the pan (the pan drippings as they’re called). This, along with the browning onions provide the foundation needed to make the gravy. Cook at least two leg & thigh quarters at a time; three are better so that you will have enough pan drippings to make enough gravy. Even if you’re cooking for one, leftover chicken is handy to have around. It reheats beautifully and you can eat it cold. So as long as you’re baking chicken, why not make a little extra?
Making gravy isn’t any more complex than, say, doing the laundry. And a lot more fun. Two steps to it: Reduce and Thicken. Put the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat, add some chicken stock and begin reducing the pan drippings, scraping the onions and the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. If you have no chicken stock, use filtered water.
A NOTE ABOUT WINE
Do not buy ‘cooking wine’ from the grocery shelf. A bottle of inexpensive white wine from the wine department is best. If you get something a little better, you can toast yourself while making the gravy. Ideally, get two bottles of wine: one for cooking & one for drinking.
Add wine and stir until all of the brown bits from the pan are dissolved into the liquid. Reduce for about five minutes or so, stirring about half the time. Be sure that the heat is high enough to reduce the cooking liquid but low enough that it isn’t boiling away. Then, while stirring, add cornstarch that has been dissolved in a little chicken stock (or water). Keep stirring until it begins to bubble; you’re cooking the cornstarch and completely incorporating it into the cooking liquid. That’s it!
Aren’t you glad you decided to give it a try? ROAST CHICKEN & GRAVY WITH POTATOES
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