My name is politicub and I can not roast a whole chicken

[Politicub]

There. I've said it. And now I am starting to be okay with it. Acceptance is the first step.

I'm a pretty decent cook when it comes to most things. But for the life of me, I can't seem to get a roast chicken to come out right.

I have tried numerous recipes, and each time something doesn't come out correctly. The problem I have most often is the meat not being done on the thigh, even when I use a meat thermometer. I've tried adding more time than called for, baking in a hotter oven, using a cooking rack, not using a cooking rack, cooking it on its side a la Cooks Illustrated, trussing, brining, not starting with the chicken ice cold, cooking it low and slow (I roll my eyes every time I hear someone say that, and I feel dirty typing it), slathering it with butter, not putting a lemon in the cavity, starting with a lilliputian bird, getting a showtime rotisserie oven, doing a chicken dance before it comes out of the oven... but it doesn't matter.

I thought this evening would be different. I followed Pioneer Woman's recipe to the letter. It has step by step pictures, for crissakes. I added a good amount of extra cooking time. How could it go wrong?

Well, it did go wrong.

The chicken itself was beautiful. But it turned out that its perfectly browned skin was just there to mock me. When I cut into the thigh, I had high hopes. But WTF - I did it again.

So now it's back in the oven. Having already been cut into, it's going to come out dry and sad.

The bitter irony? I can roast a turkey. What's up with that?

I'm not looking for help. Just someone to listen.

So thank you for listening, DU Cooking & Baking group. The wine beckons.

[siligut]

1. I know you say you aren't asking for help . . .

And I hope you are enjoying your wine. May I ask what tells you the thigh is under-cooked?

[Politicub]

4. When I start to carve it, the juices are red

and it's not fall off the bone tender like the chicken of my dreams.

[Major Nikon]

7. The best recommendation I can give is to buy an instant read thermometer

You can get one for as cheap as $20. I have 3 different ones of various price ranges and abilities. This one is the cheapest and works so well I use it more than the others. It takes about 5 seconds to get a stable reading. I always cook tender meats to temperature, not time or appearance.

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/low_cost/rt600c.html

The government recommends you cook chicken to 165F for both the breast and the thigh. For a whole chicken, if you take it out of the oven at 160F, it will rise to about 165F after letting it rest for at least 10 minutes.

Spatchcocking is an excellent technique which allows chicken to cook more evenly. I generally do this when I am grilling a whole chicken, but I'll often do it for roasting as well. If your chicken turns out too dry, brining is an excellent technique as well.

[Politicub]

10. Thanks for the link

I have an analog thermometer, so I probably need to upgrade.

[Major Nikon]

11. Analog thermometers that you can leave in the bird while it's in the oven are fine

Remote thermometers are also quite nice. You stick the probe in the meat and a wire runs back to a digital readout. I've found that the probes quite often fail with these, so make sure you read the reviews if you buy one.

However, if I only had one good thermometer, it would be an instant read one like the one I previously mentioned.

[Kali]

2. try starting it breast down for the first half of cooking time (or more)

works GREAT for turkey

also - shallow pan and/or up on a rack - if you have it in a small cake pan, for example, the back/thigh won't cook as fast as the parts sticking up above the sides.

[rocktivity]

3. This recipe is so bomb proof

Last edited Mon Oct 12, 2015, 08:26 PM - Edit history (3)

that I've substituted vegetable oil for olive oil, processed herbs for fresh ones, lemon juice in the cavity for lemons -- and it came out great anyway.

The rack goes in the CENTER of the oven, and cooking should start at 425 degrees for 15 minutes before reducing it to 375 for 50-60 minutes more (allow 12 minutes per pound). I like to tie the legs together. And don't carve it right away -- let it sit for about five minutes.

http://www.chow.com/recipes/30264-basic-whole-roasted-chicken


rocktivity

[Politicub]

5. I may try one more time

Maybe.

But honestly, my experience with roasting chicken is turning into crazy town.

[grasswire]

6. I also cook it really hot.

Herbs and butter and thin lemon slices under the skin, lots of coarse salt sprinkled on top. Cook it at 425 and later turn it down. It turns out really really good. I usually do two at a time so there are lots of leftovers for other meals.

[BainsBane]

9. It seems most roasting recipes recommend that

and I've used that method successfully.

[madinmaryland]

12. Hmm. I cook it at 275-300 for about 30min/lb. For a 6-7lb chicken it takes about three hours.

I have found them to be nearly foolproof.

[BainsBane]

8. If the thigh is the right temperature it can't hurt you

Is it possible you don't know what the thighs should look like cooked?
If you stick the thermometer too close to the bone, however, you won't get an accurate reading. Get an instant read thermometer and stick it in the thickest part of the thigh.

[elleng]

13. Hope you enjoyed the wine.

Watching Julie and Julia! Bon appetit!!!

[Warpy]

14. Try the Julia Child roast chicken in a Dutch oven

Or you can do things like spatchcock (remove breast bone and back bone and lay the chicken out flat on a rack or sheet pan) or do the initial hour or so of cooking with the bird upside down.

My own method involves massaging the breast and leg quarters with butter, seasoning on top, and wrapping the chook in cooking gauze to keep it all in place. Julia Child suggests laying strips of fatty pork across the breast or stuffing herbed butter between the skin and meat. I've never tried those, honestly.

I find my own method using the gauze works really well, giving me a crisp and intact brown skin (roasting upside down sometimes tears the skin) and taking a chicken out of the oven wrapped like a mummy has impressed onlookers. The gauze lets go very easily and the meat is moist unless I've overcooked the hell out of it for some reason. Even then, pan gravy hides all sins.

[pinto]

15. I put it in hot, skin side up till browned. Turned till browned. Turned again and put on a low bake.

~ 400 to brown. ~ 250 to bake till done. Oh, and I brush / baste both sides with spiced butter or vegetable oil on the hot brown portion.

Then walk away while it cooks low. My usual glitch is pulling it too soon.

[bravenak]

16. 300 degrees is perfect.

It takes longer but it falls off the bone. Breast side down, then flip. It takes forever.

[Phentex]

17. It's quite alright to admit this. I'm going to also suggest

the kind of thermometer that tells you the oven temperature. Maybe there's an issue there that needs to be corrected.

It's funny because I was looking for a recipe the other day when I came across one I had written down years ago for Roast Chicken. I thought WHY would I write this down when it's so easy? But I remember when I was first making them that I needed to remember my method. It's very similar to what others have suggested where you start at a higher temp 425 for 20-30 minutes, then cover with foil and reduce temp to 350 for an hour longer. It browns but it cooks. Some of the time depends on the size of the chicken and so the thermometer helps with accuracy.

Truth is in the hot days of summer, the easiest method is to pick one up from Costco!

[flamin lib]

18. Because of the accelerated growth rates of commercial chickens (hormones & such)

the meat at the joints will remain pink even when cooked to 170 f or even 180. Trust the thermometer and cook to 170-175 for dark meat, 160 for breast. Once the breast is golden brown (but not yet delicious) cover it with foil for part of the cooking time. There's an Alton Brown show about cooking turkey that explains the technique.

If the thermometer reads more than 170 the thigh is done even if the meat around the joints and along the thighbone is still pink.

FWIW all the bugs that make us sick die at 140 but the texture of poultry tartare is less than appetizing.

[Freddie]

20. This sounds correct

I've had roast chicken totally done, falling off the bone but still the meat is pink at the bone. Figure it had to be thoroughly cooked and just the nature of the meat. Tasted fine.

[cbayer]

19. I think the best advice you've gotten is to get an instant read thermometer.

They are great, particularly for poultry. Before I got mine, I used the method of taking it out when the hip joint would come apart easily.

Don't give up!! Roast chicken should be a staple.