How to Cook a Chicken Everyone Will Love

OK, I know what you are thinking. Nothing says "can't we call out for pizza" more than a plain-old roast chicken, and that's a sad thing. A well-cooked bird is probably one of my favorite meals, so I'd like to share with you some of my tricks and give that roasted hen the respect it deserves.

First, you have to get a chicken. The grocery stores have 'em in all kinds of varieties, select a whole "fryer" chicken (we'll talk about frying it some other time). Figure about 8-12 ounces per person when selecting a chicken (sometimes you need two!), but some of us can eat a whole 2 pound bird by ourselves! If your bird came with a 'giblet' bag, take this out, we'll use it in our gravy.

Now let's decide on a marinade. A good marinade is essential when roasting a bird. This time out we'll do a lemon, herb and garlic chicken. There are endless variations to explore when it comes to marinating a whole chicken, we'll discuss that some other time. For now, let's stick with the lemon, once you have the basic idea down, it's easy to swap in new flavors.

We're going to use a technique that I love for quick marinating almost anything. You'll need to begin marinating the bird about an hour before you want to cook it (it'll take about an hour to cook it, too, so that's 2 hours before you want to eat!). You can also marinate the bird over night for exceptional flavor.

You'll need a heavy duty Ziploc bag or a small kitchen garbage bag big enough to hold the chicken.

In a mixing bowl, put the lemons, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, basil, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and paprika. If you are using fresh herbs, crush them in your hands a bit before adding them to the bowl to release the essential oils. Mix it well. Now put the chicken in the bag and pour the marinade into the bag.

Squeeze out as much air as you can (without spilling the marinade over the top) and seal the bag or twist it closed. Massage around the bird to equally distribute the marinade. Place the bag in the refrigerator for about an hour (the longer, the better).

About an hour and 20 minutes before you plan on eating, its time to get started, you've got about 15 minutes of prep time and then another hour to kill.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees

Roughly chop up your celery, onion and carrots (sometimes I add parsnips and turnips if I can find them).

In a deep pot (one big enough to accommodate the chick with the lid on it, but small enough to fit in your oven), put three tablespoons of olive oil and warm it on a high heat.

Saute the celery, carrots and onions with a little salt and pepper until the begin to brown. Pull the chicken out of the bag (voilla!) and put it in the pot, rolling it over several times to brown the skin evenly. When it is sufficiently browned, be sure the bird is resting breast side up in the pan. Now pour about a cup of the marinade in, just enough to cover the bottom of the pot about 1 inch deep.

Cover the pot and place it in the oven.

Cook it this way for about 40 minutes, then remove the lid and raise the heat in the oven to 400. Cook the bird for approximately 20 more minutes, or until the skin on the breast browns nicely.

Take the pot out of the oven, using a meat thermometer, check the chicken breast near the bone, it should be at least 165 degrees. If the bird is ready, take it out of the pot and place it on a platter to rest. If it is not fully cooked, return to the oven and check it every 10 minutes.

Strain the cook vegetables out of the pot while reserving the liquid. Place the vegetables around the bird on the platter. Return the pot to the stove, if there is not enough oil in the pot to cover the bottom, add a little olive oil. Saute the giblets, if you have them, in the pot for 5 or 6 minutes, turning frequently. Pour the liquid back into the pot and any remaining marinade. Boil this mixture for 3 or 4 minutes. Strain the liquid, and then return it to the pot. Reduce the heat, sprinkle in a little flour and whisk it good. Simmer for a moment. Now serve that bird, you've got a great gravy to go with it. Enjoy!

Ingredient list:

1 Chicken, fryer, about 10 oz per person
3 lemons cut in half, squeezed (reserve the juice and save the lemons)
5 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cracked pepper
4 leaves of fresh basil or 2 teaspoons dry
4 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dry
1 sprig of fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dry
2 teaspoons paprika
½ cup olive oil (any grade)
2 tablespoons of flour
1 carrot
1 stalk of celery
1 yellow onion
1 Parnsip (optional)
1 Turnip (optional)