Rosemary Roasted Chicken

I have been cooking with whole chickens lately because they are delicious.  But to be perfectly honest it’s because they were on sale for the amazing price of .88 a pound (absolutely unheard of these days).  So I bought 6.  Yeah, it may seem a bit excessive but I just can’t resist a good buy (at least when it comes to food).  One for dinner and the rest went into my freezer.  Believe it or not, there is only one lonely chicken left.  All alone just chilling… now I wish I bought more.

I’m big on keeping it simple and usually don’t add much to what’s going to be a simple roast chicken but I had a few ingredients hanging around begging to become part of my chicken dinner.  It was sort of leftover night, but not.

I did what I always do and took out the back (optional) and placed it in a brine bath overnight in the fridge and had planned to just roast it.  But then I found about a cup of leftover bread crumbs from when Kono made his delicious Pork Milanese and got an idea.  I headed out to the backyard to clip some rosemary and viola.  Oven roasted rosemary chicken.

I lined the sheep pan with parchment (next time I would use foil for easy clean up) and place the rosemary under the rack so the chicken would have an essence of rosemary rather than a punch.

Then I minced a couple of cloves of garlic and mixed it with about 2 Tbsp. oil.  Rubbed it over the chicken then pressed the breadcrumbs onto the chicken.

The oil that I added to the garlic and the fat from the skin browned up the bread crumbs leaving an almost crispy (fried chicken like) exterior.  While the rosemary did what it was supposed to do and enhanced its flavor into the chicken without being over powering. 

The best way that I can describe this chicken is that is was a cross between a roasted and fried chicken.  I’m sure that this same method could be done with parts successfully. 

ROSEMARY ROASTED CHICKEN

4 -5      pound  whole chicken

2 – 3    sprigs   Rosemary, placed under the roasting rack

1          cup      seasoned bread crumbs

1 – 2    cloves garlic,minced

2          Tbsp.    oil

• Bake in a 400 degree oven for about an 1 hour and 15 min. depending on the size of your chicken. If using a thermometer the thickest part of the thigh should be 160 degrees.  If you don't have a thermometer poke the thigh with a knife and if it bleeds, cook for another 15 minutes. 
• I didn't find the need to do this, but, If your chicken starts to get too dark tent it with foil to stop the browning.  
• Remove from oven and tent with foil and let rest for 10 - 15 min. before cutting.

BRINE BATH
¼        cup      kosher salt
1           Tbsp.   brown sugar
½        gal.     water
Dissolve the salt and sugar in water. Place chicken in the brine, breast side down and let sit in the fridge overnight.

***I found this wonderful Chicken Roasting Guide at All Recipes 

Roasting Methods

There are two methods for roasting a whole chicken:

Regular method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roast whole (thawed) chickens for 20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

High heat method (this creates a crispy, darker skin):

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) and cook whole (thawed) chicken for 10-15 minutes.
• Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and roast for 20 minutes per pound. (Do not add the extra 15 minutes to the cooking time as with the regular method.)

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Is it Ready Yet?

Regardless of the method used, a whole chicken is ready when a meat thermometer inserted into the inner thigh (close to but not touching the thigh bone) reads at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

• The temperature of the meat will continue to rise slightly when you pull it out of the oven (this is called "carryover cooking"), so if the thermometer shows a few degrees below the target, give it a few minutes--the internal temperature might still rise to at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• When you remove the chicken from the oven, cover it loosely with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This redistributes the juices and results in moister chicken.

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Use this chart to determine how long to roast your chicken:

Roasting Times Chart

Weight (in lbs.)	Regular Method	High Heat Method
2.5 to 3	1 hour 15 minutes	1 hour
3 to 3.5	1 hour 25 minutes	1 hour 10 minutes
3.5 to 4	1 hour 35 minutes	1 hour 20 minutes
4 to 4.5	1 hour 45 minutes	1 hour 30 minutes
4.5 to 5	1 hour 55 minutes	1 hour 40 minutes
5 to 5.5	2 hours 5 minutes	1 hour 50 minutes
5.5 to 6	2 hours 15 minutes	2 hours
6 to 6.5	2 hours 25 minutes	2 hours 10 minutes
6.5 to 7	2 hours 35 minutes	2 hours 20 minutes
7 to 7.5	2 hours 45 minutes	2 hours 30 minutes

NOTE: These times are for unstuffed birds. Add 15 minutes to the total cooking time if you're roasting a stuffed chicken. And as with the chicken itself, make sure the stuffing reaches a temperature of at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).