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Roasting a chicken - how do you roast yours? |
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#1 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarf coast.
Posts: 16,527
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Roasting a chicken - how do you roast yours?
The reason I'm asking is that I'm a bit baffled.
We had to buy a new oven recently - and ever since then, some of our favourite foods have been tasting strange/horrible. It's just a standard Zanussi fan oven. For example, our pizza are almost burned on top and soggy in the middle. But the biggest annoyance of all is that our roast chicken tastes downright weird. We always use finest/organic chicken and even buy from the butcher sometimes - but it tastes completely tasteless/dry and even 'off' and oily. So I'm going to forget everything I know and roast a chicken from scratch - so can I be nosey and ask how you roast yours? Ta
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#2 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Suffolk
Posts: 21,393
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I don't do a lot with mine to be honest. I cooked one at the weekend and I just shoved it in a roasting pan with a little knob of butter smeared over the top and lashings of salt / pepper.
I then roast it for the usual 20 minutes per 500g, plus an extra 20 minutes. |
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#3 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 40
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I either use a roasting bag or put the chicken on a wire rack above a roasting tray, cover lightly with foil, remove the foil for the last 30 minutes of cooking and baste.
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#4 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,111
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I coat mine with olive oil and season it well. A lemon cut in half (with some juice squeezed over the chicken) goes inside along with two or three unpeeled garlic cloves. Half a head of garlic gets coated in oil and goes in the pan to roast with the chicken. I like garlic!
It always takes I while to get to grips with a new oven, I've found. They tend to vary in terms of temperature and cooking times. Do you have an oven thermometer, so you can check if your oven's running hot (sounds like it is, with the burnt pizza and dry chicken)? |
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#5 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
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Quote:
The reason I'm asking is that I'm a bit baffled.
We had to buy a new oven recently - and ever since then, some of our favourite foods have been tasting strange/horrible. It's just a standard Zanussi fan oven. For example, our pizza are almost burned on top and soggy in the middle. But the biggest annoyance of all is that our roast chicken tastes downright weird. We always use finest/organic chicken and even buy from the butcher sometimes - but it tastes completely tasteless/dry and even 'off' and oily. So I'm going to forget everything I know and roast a chicken from scratch - so can I be nosey and ask how you roast yours? Ta ![]() https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWLt6G85zC4 Obviously check the settings on your oven. Mine has settings for no fan, fan, pizza - which puts more heat to the bottom of the oven to help the base, and grill - which would explain why your pizzas are being burnt on top. |
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#6 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 13,041
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When I do a chicken I get a lemon and a peeled onion and chop into quarters and shove inside the cavity with a stock thing (I use those Knorr jelly infusion things). Then I get lots of bits of butter and shove some under the skin on the breast (between the skin and the meat) and rub some over the breast, and shove a few chunks inside too. Then I cut another lemon into quarters lengthwise and rub them a bit over the breast/legs and then squish them into the gaps between the thighs/body and wings/body. I grind some pepper over the breast and zest some lemon over it too, and then cover with foil for the first hour or so of roasting, and baste the juices every so often. Then take the foil off for the last bit of roasting so that the skin crisps up. Then when it's finished, lift and drain out all the juices and use for gravy while the chicken rests.
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#7 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 25,199
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Do you use the fan? I'd turn it off, I never use it. I use just oil, salt, red paprika powder, black pepper, 180 degrees Celsius for about an hour depending on the size of the chicken. I regularly (every 10-15 minutes) pour the released juices on a chicken with a spoon to stop the spices from burning.
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#8 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 4,042
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I put mine in one of these.
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ro...ml%3B886%3B563 I will usually add water, garlic, onion, celery, lemon and salt and pepper to it. |
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#9 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 5,709
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Have you lowered the oven temperature to compensate for the fan?
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#10 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,107
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I've started to use the roasting bags, add a bit of what ever seasoning you fancy, cooks in its own juices and cuts down on messy ovens.
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#11 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sitting at my PC
Posts: 9,434
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Quote:
Do you use the fan? I'd turn it off, I never use it. I use just oil, salt, red paprika powder, black pepper, 180 degrees Celsius for about an hour depending on the size of the chicken. I regularly (every 10-15 minutes) pour the released juices on a chicken with a spoon to stop the spices from burning.
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#12 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 12,236
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I just put half a lemon and a few sprigs of thyme up it's arse then roast it upside down in a 170f fan oven. A 3lb one takes about an hour and ten minutes.
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#13 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales / Canolbarth Cymru
Posts: 37,555
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People are frightened of food poisoning with chicken and therefore cook it for too long.
Overcooked chicken is stringy and dry, especially if one only eats the breast meat. I always: - cook it upside down in the tin so the breast is permanently basted - 20 minutes to the pound + 20 more at the end - stuff the neck and cavity. They say you mustn't stuff the cavity now but for me it's essential as the butter/herbs/onions infuse the chicken with flavour, and the stuffing itself tastes heavenly afterwards. Also, allow the chicken to rest for a good 15 minutes after withdrawing it from the oven; the meat will suck up any juices the heat has forced into the cavity, and it will be juicy and succulent. |
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#14 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Sunny Side Of The Street
Posts: 40,106
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I don't tend to roast a whole chicken. I just like the thighs with some butter or oil, fennel, lemon juice and herbs.
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#15 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 25,199
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Quote:
How can you turn the fan off? I cook mine in a covered roaster and season it with salt, pepper and herbs like that video.
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarf coast.
Posts: 16,527
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Thanks for all the replies
![]() Unfortunately, we can't seem to turn the fan element off - it's fan or nothing! My Dad's oven gives you a choice, but not mine. I am wondering if my old oven ran cooler. The dial transfers wore off years ago and we were just guessing temperatures based on memory! I have often wondered what roasting bags and chicken bricks/roasters are like - and if that might be the answer to bypass the problem of the oven drying the chicken out? It just seems like the fan makes the oven very 'dry' - and I just don't know how to compensate for that? When you open the oven door - the woosh of hot air is so harsh that you have to open the oven door at arms length and tuck metal jewellery under your clothes! Even when I started from scratch and followed a plain Jamie Oliver roast chicken recipe - it was grotty - tasteless dry and hard despite using the recommended temperature. |
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#17 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarf coast.
Posts: 16,527
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Quote:
When I do a chicken I get a lemon and a peeled onion and chop into quarters and shove inside the cavity with a stock thing (I use those Knorr jelly infusion things). Then I get lots of bits of butter and shove some under the skin on the breast (between the skin and the meat) and rub some over the breast, and shove a few chunks inside too. Then I cut another lemon into quarters lengthwise and rub them a bit over the breast/legs and then squish them into the gaps between the thighs/body and wings/body. I grind some pepper over the breast and zest some lemon over it too, and then cover with foil for the first hour or so of roasting, and baste the juices every so often. Then take the foil off for the last bit of roasting so that the skin crisps up. Then when it's finished, lift and drain out all the juices and use for gravy while the chicken rests.
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#18 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Nottingham
Posts: 11,481
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I use a small combi oven so the fan is always on, but never had a problem with dry chicken - I don't even cover it with anything, though do baste every 15mins or so, cook at 180c for 20 mins per lb + 20 mins. Maybe up the temp to 200c or more for the last 15mins to crisp the skin (I love crispy skin!). Its important to rest the bird for 20 minutes or so after cooking.
I wonder if your oven is running hot? A seperate oven thermometer could be a good investment. |
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 5,111
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Quote:
Thanks for all the replies
![]() Unfortunately, we can't seem to turn the fan element off - it's fan or nothing! My Dad's oven gives you a choice, but not mine. I am wondering if my old oven ran cooler. The dial transfers wore off years ago and we were just guessing temperatures based on memory! I have often wondered what roasting bags and chicken bricks/roasters are like - and if that might be the answer to bypass the problem of the oven drying the chicken out? It just seems like the fan makes the oven very 'dry' - and I just don't know how to compensate for that? When you open the oven door - the woosh of hot air is so harsh that you have to open the oven door at arms length and tuck metal jewellery under your clothes! Even when I started from scratch and followed a plain Jamie Oliver roast chicken recipe - it was grotty - tasteless dry and hard despite using the recommended temperature. |
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Sitting at my PC
Posts: 9,434
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My Hotpoint used to nuke everything so I was used to turning the thermostat down about 20 degrees. My new fan oven is better and things cook on the correct temperature e.g. 180 degrees for roast chicken. A covered roaster will stop the meat drying out too much.
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#21 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 4,695
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Cut a lemon in half - stick it in the cavity. Rub the skin with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika. Roast uncovered in a preheated oven at 180c for 20 mins per lb plus 20 mins. Baste once or twice during cooking. Leave to rest for 10 mins before carving. End.
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 76,851
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I rarely buy a full chicken but when I do I roast it upside down with a tin foil lid over it.......then turn breast side up for half an hour without the tin foil to crisp.....
I guess I always overcook it........ |
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 1,566
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cut a lemon in 2 halves put them plus an apple inside the chicken put butter under the skin over the whole of breast & then smear more over the whole bird
you get lovely moist meat & crispy skin |
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,461
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Yes, turn the oven temperature down. I had a new oven last year, it doesn't use a fan, but is hotter than my old one. If something says cook at gas mark 7, such as oven chips, I have it on mark 6, which is plenty hot enough,
I cook chicken on mark 5 |
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#25 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 4,431
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I just throw it in on 180 for a hour and half. I dont baste, season or stuff it. Its always perfect. I have an electric fan oven
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