Cooking Roast Chicken

I doubt, if anybody can resist a golden tender roast chicken! A wonderfully crisp, juicy and tender skin, roast chicken is an ultimate comfort food for most of us. Nothing can beat that enticing smell of a golden-skinned chicken, served with meaty chipolata sausages, creamy bread sauce, herby stuffing and lashings of gravy.

Mouth-watering Roast Chicken Recipes

Though most of us must be thinking that cooking roast chicken at home can be difficult and time-consuming, it is actually not so. In fact, roasting a chicken is a simple and easy way of cooking the bird, which requires very little preparation time. Therefore, here we will take a look at some easy ways to cook roast chicken breast and different variations of preparing it.

In the Oven
Ingredients

• 6oz free-range chicken, preferably organic
• 1 lemon
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 50 ml olive oil
• Small bunch fresh thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Sea salt, to taste

Directions

Slice the lemon halfway through length-ways and put a sprig of thyme into the slit and keep the lemon inside the cavity of the chicken. To prepare your flavored oil, remove the leaves from the remaining thyme stalks and put them in a bowl. Press the garlic cloves with the heel of your hand take off the skins and add the cloves to the bowl. Pour the olive oil into the bowl and with the help of a mini food processor or a hand blender, blend together the thyme leaves, garlic and olive oil, until it is in semi-liquid form. Spoon this mixture properly all over the chicken, keep the chicken in a roasting tray and pour over the remaining flavored oil. Flavor the chicken generously with sea salt and black pepper. Now cover the chicken loosely with foil and roast in a preheated oven at 400 F for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil, reduce the temperature at 350 F and roast the chicken for another 20 - 30 minutes. Pierce the bird in the thigh to see if it is fully cooked. Turn off the oven and let the chicken rest in the residual heat for at least 10 - 15 minutes. Remove the roasted chicken from the oven and then carve. Place the carved chicken on a large platter, pour the pan juices over the top and serve hot.

In the Crock Pot
Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts boneless and skinless
• 4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp oregano leaves
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tsp crushed black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• cup white wine
• Spray cooking oil

Directions

Wash the chicken, dry on paper towel and keep it aside. In a bowl, mix oregano, salt and pepper and cornflour, sprinkle on the chicken and rub evenly inside the chicken breast. In a pan, fry the chicken breast in the spray cooking oil until browned. Take another bowl and combine the stock, lemon juice, wine and garlic. Now transfer the browned chicken and the prepared mixture to the crock pot. Cover and cook on high heat for three hours and on low heat for six hours. Remove the chicken and place on to the serving plate. Take a small pan, pour the remaining liquid in it and then add cream to it. Pour this mixture over the chicken and serve hot.

In a Slower Cooker
Ingredients

• 2 to 3 lb. whole chicken
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt and ground black pepper
• 1 tsp lemon peel

Directions

Wash the chicken thoroughly and dry it with paper towels or disposable cloth. Rub the surface of the chicken with extra virgin olive oil, and keep it aside. Chop the fresh rosemary very finely, and with the help of a fork blend it with the lemon peel. Blend salt and pepper in a separate bowl and sprinkle evenly over and inside the chicken, follow with a sprinkling of the rosemary and lemon peel mixture. Transfer the seasoned chicken into the slow cooker and cook for three hours on high, then turn the slow cooker to low and continue cooking for 4 - 5 hours. Don't add any water or liquid, and let the chicken roast in its own juices and the flavorings. Once the chicken is done, remove the chicken with the help of a large spatula and before serving, sprinkle with paprika for color.

After knowing these easy ways of cooking, I am sure you won't be able to wait very long to try them. To enhance the flavor, you can stuff the chicken with different herbs (parsley, rosemary, oregano or basil would all be good) or with your favorite spices to create your own signature dish.