Recipe(tried): Roast Chicken for Sheri,CT

Hi Sheri:-)

You can roast a chicken stuffed or unstuffed. Allow about 3/4 lb. per serving. (You have to take into account that much of the chicken has bones and that weighs quite a lot so to make sure you have enough, allow 3/4 lb. per person before cooking.)

Wash the chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels, inside and out.

If you are stuffing the chicken, stuff it right before you are going to cook it and make sure that the stuffing is cold or no warmer than at room temperature. (Otherwise, you risk food poisoning.) If you are stuffing it, fill the wishbone area with stuffing first. Fasten neck skin to back with a skewer. Fold or tuck the wings under and across back. (This takes a bit of minipulating the wings but I think if you try you will see how they should go.) Fill body cavity lightly. (Do not pack stuffing since it will expand some during cooking.) Tie legs (drumsticks together with kitchen string. (This is cotton string...make sure that you don't use anything else or it might melt in the oven. If you don't have string, just let the legs stay as they are. You can also, if you have trussing skewers, use these and string to close the breast cavity where the stuffing is. Just insert the skewers and use the string kind of like you would lace a shoe; then tie in a bow or knot.

Heat oven to 375 degress. (I usually use 35o degrees.) Place breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan (like the bottom part of the broiler pan that came with your stove.) Brush the chicken with melted butter or margarine, or just pour it over the chicken after melting it. Do not add water. Do not cover. I like to roast the chicken for about 45 min., then baste it with the butter and juices every 15 - 30 minutes until it is done. Chicken is done when the thickest parts are fork tender and drumstick meat feels very soft when pressed between fingers. If you have an instant read thermometer, the internal temperature should be 185 degrees when the thermometer is inserted in the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone. Another way to tell if the chicken is done is when all the juices run "clear." They should not be pink. If they are, the chicken is not done. (Personally, I would rather have over cooked chicken than under cooked chicken. From experience, over cooked is better than raw:-( UGH:-(!!) For a 3 -4 lb. chicken at 375 degrees, it should take 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours.... maybe a bit longer if it is stuffed (15 minutes or so longer). For a larger chicken, 5 - 8 lbs., roast at 325 degrees for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before carving it. This will allow the juices to redistribute.

You should remove your chicken from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you plan to cook it so it can come to room temperature. Also, if it starts to look too brown while you are cooking it, you can "tent" it loosely with aluminum foil.

I hope this helps you some, Sheri. I remember cooking my first chickens and turkey and it seemed so daunting. It is really pretty simple. If you have further questions, we'll all try to help you. Just know that we were all there before so we can empathize and try to help:-)!!