- 1 large chicken
- A roasting pan with lid or a big pan
with tin foil
Everyone on a tight budget needs a good way
to cook a whole chicken. Once cooked this
chicken can be used anywhere you would find
yourself using a rotisserie chicken from the
supermarket. Whole chickens can sometimes be
found for 50¢ to 70¢ per pound. They can
almost always be found for under $1/lb. Pick
out the heaviest chicken you find at the
market because it will have more meat on it
than the lighter chickens. I prefer 5 lb
chickens or heavier, but sometimes settle
for a 4lb chicken when necessary.
If you find a good sale, then buy as many
chickens as you can fit into your freezer.
They will keep for over a year and they are
easy to cook when everything else is too
much trouble.
Begin by thawing your chicken if it is
frozen. You can do this in the microwave or
in the refrigerator for a couple of days.
Most home economists tell us not to thaw
chicken on the counter overnight. This is
how I do it though, and so far no one in my
house has died of salmonella poisoning.
Before I go to bed at night I place my
frozen chicken on a large dish and stash it
in the oven (which is turned OFF) to protect
it from scavenging pets in the middle of the
night. In the morning the chicken is
perfectly thawed and still cold.
If your chicken isn't frozen then use it as
is, straight from the fridge. Unwrap the
chicken in a clean sink. Pour off all of the
gooey juices. Reach your hand inside the
chicken cavity and remove any giblets and
the neck. Rinse the inside of the chicken
very thoroughly. Rinsing the chicken takes
away that slightly metallic flavor that
chicken sometimes has if it isn't washed
before cooking. I used to never rinse my
chicken and I always wondered why it didn't
taste as good as restaurant chicken. The key
is in the washing. I think the extra chicken
juices (blood) give the chicken a slightly
"gamey" flavor when it is cooked. Some folks
don't mind this flavor, in which case, don't
bother rinsing the chicken. If you prefer
your chicken very mild however, the extra
work of washing it before cooking will
really pay off in finished flavor. Be sure
to clean the sink afterwards, so nothing is
contaminated with frisky chicken juices.
Place your clean chicken into a roasting pan
with a lid or a 9 by 13-inch pan. Lay the
giblets along side the chicken. You can eat
them later or give them to a well deserving
domestic creature. Place the lid on your
roasting pan, or arrange 3 or 4 sheets of
tin foil over the chicken, sealing it in the
pan. You want to keep the steam in with the
chicken. This is what cooks the chicken and
gives it it's special texture.
Place the chicken in a 300° to 325° oven.
Bake for 2-1/2 to 3 hours. When the chicken
is done it will be lightly browned on top
and there will be a nice amount of chicken
broth collected in the bottom of the pan.
Carefully pour out the chicken broth. You
can use it for gravy, soups, sauces or
pretty much anywhere you would use
commercial chicken broth. Now place the
chicken, without a lid, back into the oven
to crisp up and brown a bit. About 10 to 15
minutes should do it nicely. Serve hot with
mashed potatoes, broccoli and green Jell-O
with pears. Refrigerate any leftovers and
serve them in a Caesar salad or in any
recipe calling for cooked chicken. If you
have a large turkey roaster, you can usually
fit 2 chickens at once in it and cook them
together. The instructions and cooking times
stay the same. You just cook two birds with
one pot. This allows for plenty of leftovers
for middle of the week meals.
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