April 7, 2020July 23, 2020

Roast chicken & turkey can sometimes remind people of special occasion dinners. Times of getting together with friends and family to share laughs and traditions. If you have one of these memories, think back to those moments…who cooked the roast? Are you ready to rise up to the challenge, WOW your guests and create memories? Here’s how to cook a delicious Roast Chicken with Herbs. Let’s get cooking, chefs!

Yield: 4 – 5 servings
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: About 1 hour and 35 minutes

INGREDIENT LIST

1 roasting chicken, about 3-4 pounds (1.3-1.8kg)
salt and pepper
6 fresh sage leaves (or ½ tsp / 2mL dried herbes de Provence)
sprig of parsley
1 large lemon, cut into wedges
2 Tbsp (30mL) olive oil, or butter

EQUIPMENT LIST

paper towel
cutting board
small sharp knife
chef’s knife
roasting pan, 2 inches deep and a little bigger than the chicken
kitchen twine
tongs
fork or skewer
instant read thermometer

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 220C (425 F). Set the rack on the lower-middle level in the oven.

2. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, with cold water. Dry with paper towels. Remove any lumps of fat from inside the cavity and remove any chicken parts that may be inside the chicken.

3. Salt and pepper the inside of the bird, then stuff it with the sage leaves (or some of the herbes de Provence), sprig of parsley, and 3 or 4 wedges of lemon, squeezing them as you add them.

4. Rub a little olive oil over the whole chicken then season with salt and pepper and a little herbes de Provence, if using.

5. With the chicken breast side up, tuck the wingtips underneath the chicken and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

6. Set the chicken in the roasting pan and squeeze the rest of the lemon over the top of the bird.

7. Wash the work surface and your hands with hot, soapy water.

8. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, lower the temperature to 175C (350F) and continue cooking for 1 hour – 1 hour and 15 minutes.

9. Check for doneness one of three ways:

If the leg joint wiggles easily, the chicken is done.
Pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer or fork. If the juice runs cloudy or red, the chicken needs more time to cook. If the juices run clear, the chicken is cooked.
Stick an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh. The thermometer should read 74~ 82 C when you remove the chicken from the oven. The internal temperature will continue to climb as much as 3 degrees as the chicken rests outside the oven, but note that the safe temperature to consume whole chicken is 82C.

10. Remove the chicken from the roasting pan with tongs and place on a plate. Let the chicken sit for 10 minutes before carving.

11. Use a chef’s knife to carve or have an adult carve the chicken for you if you are not comfortable doing this. Place the chicken on a cutting board to carve:

With a sharp knife, cut the skin between the legs and the body. Pull or cut the legs away from the body at the joint.
Cut down between the drumstick bone and thighbone.
Cut the wing joint from the body.
Slice the breast meat downward. Slice thinly, across the grain. You can also cut the breast meat from the breast bone as one piece then cut the meat across the grain.

12. Arrange the meat on a platter. You can garnish with some lemon and sage leaves.

13. Wash the cutting board and knife with hot, soapy water.

TASTY TIP

The bits of meat left on the chicken carcass can be removed to make sandwiches.

Use the chicken carcass to make chicken stock. You can make a delicious soup with what may be in the fridge.

SKILLS

STEP-BY-STEP – ROASTED CHICKEN WITH HERBS!

STEP 1
Gather your ingredients. We have sprigs of fresh parsley, rosemary, thyme & oregano. If you have any of these herbs growing at home try using them.

STEP 2
Rinse the dry the chicken. Salt and pepper the inside of the bird, then stuff it with 3 wedges of lemon and herbs.

STEP 3
Rub olive oil all over the chicken, then season with salt and pepper. This is a two person job, one person handling the bird while the other person seasons.

STEP 4
Tie the legs together with kitchen twine – if you don’t have any handy, “stay calm, and cook on.” Tying the legs together promotes even cooking, but you can achieve a beautiful roast without it too.

STEP 5
Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes at 425F, then lower to 350F and cook for approximately another hour. The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reads 165F. See full recipe on how to check the chicken is cooked.

STEP 6
While the chicken is resting, setup a carving area. I use a non-slip mat, baking tray, and a cutting board inside the baking tray – this helps to keep the work area clean.

STEP 7
Use a pair of tongs and any sharp knife to carve. Here we are using a Project CHEF paring knife. First, remove the wishbone in front of the breasts.

STEP 8
Cut straight down the breast line, making sure your knife reaches the back of the chicken. When you find the joint where the leg is attached, pull or cut the leg away from body.