First things first: I plan on eating this chicken until Friday and hopefully will be able to make reasonably sized batches so that I can take it to work as well. Cubed or pulled chicken is an easy toss-in to just about any grain-based dish so that I can get a much-needed daily dose of protein. My typical lunch is not too expensive -- a Healthy Choice microwave meal, a Marie Callender's steamer, or the occasional Beefaroni bowl or Cup-of-Noodles (the quintessential lazy food, specifically for those who would like to consume their entire salt intake in a single 12-ounce Styrofoam cup). I can spend anywhere from $2 - 5 on lunch on a given day, sometimes all five days per week. Again, not too shabby but not too healthy, either. And neither is that soda or bottle of iced tea that always seem to sneak its way onto the scanner of my self-checkout lane.
Here's a little pic of Chicken Little:
Yes, his hind-ness is in the air but cooking backside up is supposed to produce juicier, more tender breasts (I feel like SVU Detectives Benson and Stabler should be bursting down my door just for writing that). Yes, his bosom was supple and should provide enough meat for several incarnations of sauce and rice.
What I did:
Here's the total:
1 7.3-lb chicken: $6.93 (bought two chickens for $13.85 total to get the BOGO deal)
4 carrots: $.50
4 stalks of celery: $.60
4 medium yellow onions: $1.60
1 garlic bulb (broken and popped out all of the cloves): $.30
Extra virgin olive oil (already in the pantry)
Salt (pantry)
4-color peppercorns (pantry)
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
2 bay leaves
1 lemon
Total: $9.93
Just 5 cooking steps:
1. Set the oven to 475 F degrees. Rinse the chicken and remove the innards (most will come in a bag already stuffed inside of the cavity of the chicken).
2. Coarsely chop the vegetables, without peeling the onions or carrots. Set in the bottom of a roasting pan. Set the chicken on top of the vegetables.
3. Pretty up the chicken: sprinkle the outside of the chicken with the herbs, salt, and pepper. Prick the lemon with a fork a few times and stick inside of the chicken along with the 2 bay leaves. Sprinkle any remaining herbs and a little more salt and pepper inside of the chicken.
4. Put the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes per pound (2 hours and 20 minutes, though I pulled it out when there were 5 minutes left because it was done). Now, many chickens also have a white plastic tab that pops out when the chicken is done. If your chicken does not have that, then it doesn't hurt to invest a couple of bucks in a meat thermometer. When you put it in the thigh it should read about 165 degrees Fahrenheit. No thermometer and nervous about under- or overcooking your bird? My mom taught me to stick a knife in the thigh right where it pushes against the rest of the chicken and if the juices run clear and there's no red near the bone, then you're good to go.
5. Once you put the chicken in the oven, immediately turn the oven down to 400 F degrees. Cook it for the appropriate amount of time, basting it occasionally (I check mine once every half hour). I use extra virgin olive oil to keep the bird and veggies moist. When it's done cooking, pull it out of the oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before you carve, serve, and enjoy!
My first night with Chicken Little:
I complemented him with some herbed stuffing, mixed greens salad with carrots and a Greek vinaigrette, and a full glass of riesling. The meat was moist and flavorful, with lemony undertones contrasted with the spiciness of the peppercorns (freshly ground in my pepper mill!). So yummy it knocked me out and I ended up awaking a little later than usual :)
In case you're wondering, I did not eat the veggies (not that night at least!). They're being saved for my homemade chicken noodle soup, which, sadly is still acceptable in DC's chilly start to spring. That will most likely be tonight since it's already down to 49 degrees in the District. I'll have to curl up with a bowl, blanket, and the next episode of "Bones" in my Netflix queue!
Always hungry,
Kristen
