A few days ago, I made my first ever WHOLE chicken. It was a little scary for someone who is used to cooking with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but I figure I should get used to working with bone-in chicken before we move to South Africa!
I will admit, I got a little attached to my chicken. I think he just kind of drew me in with his little wings and legs and fat little belly. Call me crazy. I know some of you already do!
Here's my chicken friend after I took out the packet of gizzards, or whatever that nastiness is called.
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| Just hanging around |
Then I just had to stand my little buddy up
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| Hi |
Then, after I washed him inside and out (I was a little too aggressive and ended up breaking his skin apart! I used toothpicks to put him back together), I covered him with butter that had salt, pepper and basil in it. And I cut up an apple and stuffed my chicken with it.
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| All ready to go in the oven |
The recipe I was loosely following was from The Pioneer Woman. It said to cook the chicken at 450 degrees for an hour and 15 minutes or so. So this is what I did.
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| Oh chicken, you look and smell so good |
When Darin came home from work, I was sitting in front of the oven, staring at my chicken through the door. It was just getting so brown and delicious looking and I was feeling SO accomplished.
Then Darin took the chicken out to see if it was done. He pulled out a chunk of meat from the right side of the bird. It was good. Then he looked more closely and saw that the chicken was still a bit raw looking underneath the part he had just sampled.
Mr. Chicken went back into the oven. We all ate some very delicious, very cheesy and buttery potatoes while we waited for the chicken. After 20 minutes, we took him out again and Darin tried the other side.
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| My poor chicken |
All was well, so he took off some meat for the kids to eat, then we served ourselves. I would say Mr. Chicken was tasty. However, he was also quite dry. I usually love to nibble on chicken skin, but after seeing little feather remnants when I was washing Mr. Chicken, I just couldn't do it.
I am sure I will cook a chicken again someday, but I'll have to find a different cooking method for sure.
4 comments:
Try it in a crock pot! That is how we do ours!
Whitney had mentioned that. You'll have to tell me how you make it.
Hey! We do get chicken without all those things. When you get here buy a pack of those bags they call oven bags, put the food inside and out it comes lovely in less than the time without the bag.
I am guessing the boneless skinless chicken is quite a bit more expensive! I have used an oven bag once, for a turkey and it did turn out great. Good to know they have them in South Africa as well!
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