I wasn’t particularly hungry, since I finished off that fried rice I made… sometime. But I thought it would be nice to have something for the SO to eat when she gets home from work, other than the leftover stroganoff from… Friday?
I had a brilliant idea. Go to the market and get one of those rotisserie chickens. (Cue Holly Hunter as Dorinda Durston wafting a rotisserie chicken around the kitchen to make Brad Johnson as Ted Baxter think she’d made it herself.) Maybe get some creamed spinach to go with it. Hah? Hah? Good idea, amiright? Only… The market was out of rotisserie chicken. Also, they didn’t have any creamed spinach. They did have a three-pound fresh chicken though, and some frozen cauliflower in cheese sauce and frozen Brussels sprouts in butter.
So I buttered the bird all over the outside and under the breast skin, sprinkled on some salt, garlic powder, pepper, and paprika, and put it into a roasting bag. At 350ºF, it’s supposed to take an hour and a half at most. We’ll see. I put the probe in, and set the alarm to 180ºF. It should be done by the time she gets home. There’s some leeway. The veg takes eight minutes in the microwave oven.
And if she doesn’t like it, she can have the two leftover pancakes from Sunday.
The thermometer says it’s 180º. Well, it didn’t actually say it; but it started beeping. The top of the bird isn’t as brown as I like it, so I’m letting it cook some more. The SO should be home in half an hour, unless she leaves work earlier.
Oh, we are certainly not above a heat and eat or grab and go on a weeknight (and Lord knows we have spent our fair share on pizza rolls). It was your catalog of questionable leftovers that hurt my heart, and your defeatist attitude toward what sounds like a really tasty meal.
That said, from your post, I gather it is just the two of you, and I know it’s difficult to cook for just 2 and not have random odds and ends left. Having a teenage boy around usually solves that.
Before the SO moved in, I’d just keep eating whatever I made until it was gone. She prefers to not have the same thing every day. How weird is that? I like my leftovers!
The chicken turned out all right. I had a leg and a couple little pieces of white meat. I used the drippings to make gravy. The SO had a couple of bites, then when back later for another. Turns out she wasn’t very hungry. I didn’t bother making the veg. No matter. We can heat it up tomorrow. Or maybe she’ll make chicken enchilada casserole.
Yesterday was rainy and cold, so I made a pot of beef stew. Simmered for about three hours until the meat was fall-apart tender. Lovely aroma and flavor.
Next time, simply wash and dry the bird, rub it down with a bit of olive oil, and sprinkle all over with with kosher salt and black pepper. Roast (uncovered!) for 45 mins - 1 hr (depending on size) at 450 degrees. It will be the best chicken you’ve ever had.
I knew I left something out. Def use a cast-iron pan if you have one and the bird fits in it. I like to preheat the pan in the oven while prepping the bird. Olive oil isn’t a must, I just find that the salt and pepper sticks to the skin a bit better with it.
This is correct. Or I shoukd say, I agree. I’ve never use a cast iron pan myself, but the simple high heat chicken works a charm and makes the tastiest, crispiest chicken skin I’ve had. Do beware the drippings. While the Thomas Keller method is strict about no excess moisture whatsoever, I have found putting a pan of water beneath the bird to catch drippings and keep them from smoking doesn’t seem to have an ill effect on the crispness of the chicken, and it keeps the missus happy that the fire alarm is silent and there’s not a cloud of smoke in the kitchen.
No matter what you rub on it, or what you stick inside it. Whole, spatchcocked, or cut up. With vegetables in the pan, or without. It’s hard to go wrong with a roasted chicken for dinner, even if you never make it the same way twice.
I use cast iron in the oven for mammals, Cajun salmon, and cornbread. I almost never roast a chicken, but I make a turkey in a roasting bag every year. You can’t go wrong with a roasting bag for turkey – nor for chicken, apparently. I might have to try the high-heat roasting next time I want to roast a chicken.
I mentioned to the SO that she might want to make the chicken enchilada casserole. She smiled and nodded and said, ‘If you take all of the meat off of the bones…’
Smart gal. That’s what I tell my wife when she says “gee, it’s a shame to throw out that turkey carcass and all those bones”. Great: you cut it up so it will fit in a pot, and then strain it all out when it’s done boiling down.
