Roasted Chicken with Garlic & Rosemary

Over the years we have tried many techniques for roasting chicken, always searching for the perfect, most delectable, moist and tender results.  For years my standard way of roasting a chicken was to roast it at 450 degrees for 30 minutes then reduce the heat to 350 and continue roasting until done.  The results were good, but of course we, at Glutenfreeda, are always on the quest to produce the most phenomenal results – so when we come across different methods we always try them out to see what results.  

One method that produces great results is the high heat method.  Basically this method involves roasting the chicken at a very high temperature of 500 degrees.  The high heat, contrary to what you might expect, does not singe or burn but instead, locks in the chicken’s juices and will cook the chicken in about 1 hour.  Two things to pay attention to with this method:  1) the chicken can stick to the bottom of the pan so you might consider placing it on a lightly oiled rack instead of directly on the roasting pan, and 2)  if your oven is not spotless you might find that it will put off excess smoke.   But given those potential issues, this method does produce a succulent, delicious roasted chicken.  To try this method “Roast Chicken with Potatoes” is a wonderful dish in which the potatoes roast right alongside the chicken, and yes, all at 500 degrees F!

Roast Chicken with Cumin, Honey & Orange

Another tip I’ve learned over the years is to roast the chicken for the first 30 minutes breast side down to ensure juicy breast meat.  What I’ve found is that it’s difficult to roast a chicken and have the breast not “overcook” by the time the dark meat is done.  And when the breast meat is overcooked it dries out.  Roasting the chicken breast side down seems to fix this problem.  To do this, however, you will need to cradle the bird in a v-rack which you can find in nearly all kitchen stores or even perhaps at the grocery store!

But the best and most valuable tip to produce the juiciest, and most tender roasted chicken is to make sure that you are starting with a quality chicken.  Buying a good chicken is just as important (or perhaps even more) than how you cook it.  The better the bird was raised and fed, the better it will taste.  Always try and find a chicken that is labeled “no antibiotics”, “no hormones”, “naturally fed” and/or “organic”.  These birds do tend to cost more but they are truly worth the money.

Roasted Chicken with Tarragon Butter

We have many, many recipes on Glutenfreeda.com for roasted chicken; all using various cooking methods and all will deliver a delicious meal to your table.  Here are some of our favorites.  We invite you to try one of these amazing recipes this month.

Lemon-Tarragon Roasted Chicken
Roasted Chicken with Garlic & Rosemary
Roasted Chicken with Tarragon Butter
Honey Mustard Roast Chicken with Winter Vegetables
Roast Chicken with Cumin, Honey & Orange
Roast Chicken with Garlic & Lemons

Enjoy!

- Chef Jessica

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