Techniques for Roasted Chicken

eHow
June 26, 2011

Roasted chicken is the epitome of Sunday night supper. Evocative of Julia Child and June Cleaver, the simple roasted bird symbolizes culinary prowess and family bonding. Every seasoned cook has a favorite technique, and the topic of the perfect roasted chicken rouses debate, but it all comes down to a matter of taste. Follow the techniques that appeal to your palate.

Trussing
The act of trussing a bird involves tying up the legs and wings with kitchen twine so they lie flush against the body of the bird. This ensures that the appendages cook at the same time as the breast. Loose legs and wings brown much faster than the dense breast and can burn before the rest of the bird cooks through. Trussing makes for beautiful presentation but protects the skin of the legs, wings and breast from the crisping heat. Dark meat cooks more slowly than white meat, so it stays juicy for quite a while in the oven. Skin lovers may not want to truss their birds. But if you want a photogenic and succulent bird, truss away.

Brining
Brining — soaking the bird in a saltwater solution before cooking it -- gives whole chicken an enormous flavor boost, but it requires some extra preparation. Dissolve ½ cup kosher salt or ¼ cup table salt in 2 qts. of water. Submerge the chicken in the solution and refrigerate the whole container for at least one hour and up to five hours. Rinse the chicken and dry it completely before roasting. Brining is not necessary for delicious roasted chicken, but some cooks swear by it.

Seasoning the Bird
The next seasoning question regards optimal skin-crisping. Buttering the skin thoroughly gives a rich flavor and golden brown crispness. Rub the surface of the chicken with unsalted or herb butter. Partially separate the skin from the flesh and rub the butter underneath the skin. Season with salt, pepper and herbs. A final flavor-enhancing technique is stuffing the cavity with aromatics. After removing the giblets, fill the cavity with lemons halves, garlic cloves, onions, herbs and any other flavorings. The aromas and flavors permeate the flesh as the bird cooks. These should be discarded before serving.

Temperature
Not everyone agrees on which cooking technique yields the best bird, a short blast of heat or low and slow. The higher the heat, the crispier the skin. Lower heat ensures even cooking. The best method might just be in the middle of the road. Begin with a blast of heat: 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn down the heat to 350 degrees for the remainder of the cooking time, 20 minutes per pound. To get crisp skin and even cooking all around the bird, place it on a rack in the roasting pan. This way, the heat circulates and the juices caramelize for a flavorful pan sauce.

References
Fine Cooking; Roast Chicken Made Better, Start to Finish; Beth Dooley, et al.
AllRecipes.com: Roasting Chicken