Chicken. Or turkey. Birds. They can definitely be intimidating to the average chef. Even so, I've found a recipe that includes outrageous flavor and is super super moist. Looking at this picture as I type makes me wish I had some of this chicky left over. But alas, I do not.
So, whether you are preparing a 15 lb turkey this week for Thanksgiving, or if you just want to impress your hubby with a perfect dinner for two, check out this recipe....
Rosemary Lemon Chicken for Two
Ingredients:
*1 2lb-3lb chicken
*3-4 tbls of butter (melted)
*Salt and pepper
*1 lemon
*Handful of fresh/dried rosemary or thyme
*1 bulb of garlic
*1/2 white/yellow onion
*Olive Oil
So first you want to allow your birdy to dethaw. I bought a tiny 2lb chicken for Shawn and I, and I pulled him out of the freezer about 6-8 hrs before cooking. While I was home, I stuck him in a large bowl of cold water to dethaw. While we went out, I stuck him in the fridge. The key is you DO NOT want your bird to even come near room temp. That would be super dangerous. So I'd advise, if you are doing a small bird (like me), stick him in the fridge this night before. If doing a turkey, you want to start dethawing up to 4 days before.
Preheat your oven for 350. I wish I had pictures for this next part, but 'undressing' a bird is not a cute act. Cut your bird out of the bag, wash his outsides with cold water, and place him on a clean cutting board. Now it get's nasty. Reach your hands inside the birds, um innards, and pull out the neck, gizzards, and whatever else is in there. I HATE THIS PART. Then wash the inside of your bird. Pat dry inside and outsides with paper towel. REMEMBER: When dealing with poultry, always wash your hands before touching anything else. If it helps, have as much as you can set up before touching the bird so you don't have to go back and forth. That'll make your hands raw!
Now, loosen the skin. Near the large opening, you should be able to pull some of the skin up with your fingers and/or knife and loosen the skin from the meat. Soften some butter in the microwave (for this sized bird, I used about 3 tbls), tilt your bird back and fill that area with butter. This is a key to a moist bird. Also, brush the outside of the bird with the butter as well. Then, salt and pepper the insides and outsides of the bird liberally. Now, apply your other spices. I have lots of rosemary, so I decided to use some. I sprinkled the outside of my bird with rosemary as well as shoving some rosemary in-between the skin and the meat. More flavor. If you have a little bit bigger bird, you want to tie your birds legs together so that they are close to the body to ensure even cooking. My birds legs were so small so I didn't. You can use baking thread (or even unflavored floss) for this.
Lastly, you want to stuff him. I took a whole bulb of garlic and cut it in half. No need to peel the garlic or anything. Then, I took a lemon and cut it into fourths. I shoved as much of the lemon inside, and the rest I left around the outside of the bird. Lastly, I took a few springs of rosemary and stuff them in there too.
Then, I stuck my bird in a roasting pan, and cut up large slices of onion. I also threw in the few slices of lemon that wouldn't fit in the chicken. You could also throw some celery and/or cut carrots around the outside too. Pour a bit of olive oil over these and salt and pepper. Yum! I baked my bird at 350 for about 1.5 hrs. Time may vary. The best way to tell if a bird is done is to stick a baking thermometer in the thickest part of the bird and it should read 180 degrees. ALso, the juices should run clear. When the bird is done, take him out of the pan and lay him on a flat surface covered with aluminum foil for at least 5-10 min (more for bigger birds). This resting process guarantees locking in those yummy juices. In the mean time, you can make gravy!!
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| For this gravy, I literally just added a few tablespoons of corn starch and wished it all together. SOOO much flavor here. Be sure to drain out everything else. |
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| See all the yummy flavor-making things coming out of Mr. bird? |
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| Beautiful color |
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| Oh. My. Word. |
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| Insanely good! |
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| Ummm yes. You need to make this now. Served with mashed potatoes and green beans. Perfect meal.
So don't be afraid of poultry! He can be your friend! This bird was so awesome, I would definitely do this again. The original recipe I used was Ina Garten's, found here. I made two 5-6 lbs chickens last Christmas for my husbands family using this recipe, and it was a hit. You can't go wrong with Ina.
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