# I have a whole chicken. What's the least amount of work I can do to make it tasty? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 22, 2013, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-whole-chicken-whats-the-least-amount-of-work-i-can-do-to-make-it-tasty/671905 "2013-10-22T03:02:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-whole-chicken-whats-the-least-amount-of-work-i-can-do-to-make-it-tasty/671905/41 "2013-10-23T22:16:04Z")
It’s easiest to get rid of the fat from your home-made broth if you put it in a tall straight-sided pitcher and stick in the fridge overnight. The fat will rise to the top and solidify, so you can just lift it off. The broth might gel too, but that’s how you know it simmered long enough. It will melt as soon as you heat it a little. For roasting, you could do a version of Forty-Clove Chicken. Lay a bed of rosemary in the pan; a few sprigs will do if you don’t have a bush. [Peel three or four heads of garlic](http://lifehacker.com/5844865/peel-a-head-of-garlic-in-less-than-10-seconds-with-two-bowls). (Yes, heads, not cloves.) Put any little ugly cloves inside the chicken, and scatter the rest around it. Cook as usual. The roasted garlic will be sweet and wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-whole-chicken-whats-the-least-amount-of-work-i-can-do-to-make-it-tasty/671905/42 "2013-10-23T22:18:11Z")
> [@rjk](#): > > It’s easiest to get rid of the fat from your home-made broth if you put it in a tall straight-sided pitcher and stick in the fridge overnight. The fat will rise to the top and solidify, so you can just lift it off. And by all means, keep that fat. It’s not exactly [schmaltz](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schmaltz), but it’s close. Great for frying potatoes or adding to rice or about a thousand other things. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-whole-chicken-whats-the-least-amount-of-work-i-can-do-to-make-it-tasty/671905/43 "2013-10-25T08:23:41Z")
> [@Cyros](#): > > I’m sure I am missing something very obvious but could you explain? > [@SylverOne](#): > > Adam Sandler movie **Little Nicky**. As part of Satan’s punishment for Hitler, he gets a pineapple, complete with leaves and skin, shoved you know where. > > There maybe some other reference to this, but this is what came to mind for me. Nope, [that was it](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YssMT0qXYOw). Nothing but high brow humor for me. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-whole-chicken-whats-the-least-amount-of-work-i-can-do-to-make-it-tasty/671905/44 "2013-10-25T09:15:03Z")
Have you ruled out trading it to somebody else for their cooked chicken? ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-whole-chicken-whats-the-least-amount-of-work-i-can-do-to-make-it-tasty/671905/45 "2013-10-25T21:55:28Z")
Remove guts, yes they are in there somewhere. Rinse and pat dry. Salt and pepper and if you have it rub with chicken bullion cube crumbled. Roast in oven at 325 degrees. for an hour. :o ---
**Author:** ![Waenara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@Waenara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waenara)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2013, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-whole-chicken-whats-the-least-amount-of-work-i-can-do-to-make-it-tasty/671905/46 "2013-10-26T06:24:40Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > I like the air dry effect, but new recommendations are that you don’t rinse a chicken. > [@Kimballkid](#): > > Why not? What, are you chicken? > > 😃 😃 I know a lot of people still rinse their chickens - 90% of people do it, but it’s a bad idea. See [this link](http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stop-washing-your-chicken-8C11067715). People think they’re removing the germs (especially salmonella) from the outside. But in reality, rinsing the bird results in germy water splashing/aerosolizing and getting all over your hands, clothes, countertops, towels, fruit/veggies laying nearby in the kitchen, etc… The heat of cooking will kill any germs that are present. No need to rinse. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-whole-chicken-whats-the-least-amount-of-work-i-can-do-to-make-it-tasty/671905/47 "2013-10-26T16:00:37Z")
Yeah. But ever since I read that the “ice water bath” freshly slaughtered chickens are submerged in described as “a fecal soup” I’ve _had_ to wash my chicken. I have no illusions that I’m washing off the bacteria, what I’m washing off is chicken shit. As for the counters, etc, that’s why I keep a spray bottle of dilute bleach near my sink. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2013, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-whole-chicken-whats-the-least-amount-of-work-i-can-do-to-make-it-tasty/671905/48 "2013-10-26T19:19:57Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > Liquid honey? As opposed to … ? [Creamed](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creamed_honey) or set honey, which is too solid to brush on anything. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-whole-chicken-whats-the-least-amount-of-work-i-can-do-to-make-it-tasty/671905/49 "2013-10-26T19:38:55Z")
Sometimes I just put the whole chicken on a rack with a pan under it and bake on a high temp like 450 degrees. Salt and pepper thats it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-whole-chicken-whats-the-least-amount-of-work-i-can-do-to-make-it-tasty/671905.md?page=2)