Unlike my roast chicken, son Michael’s roasted whole chicken has the most gorgeous dark and crispy skin when he is finished.
After seeing his chicken more than once, I asked him what he does.
First, Mike prepares his chicken the day before he want to cook it.
We both “spatchcock” a whole chicken as it will cook faster, which involves cutting out the backbone. (Sometimes I save this piece in the freezer, along with leftover bones for a future bone broth for soup.) Here’s a link to show you how to “spatchcock” a whole chicken.
Secondly, Mike puts his flattened chicken in a pan meant for the oven–I use one that has lower sides–about 2 inches–to catch drippings. Then, he dries off the chicken surfaces, salts the top, and puts the whole thing uncovered in the refrigerator to dry out until he wants to cook it the next day.
Third: roast the chicken. I roasted at convection 375 degrees as that works for my oven. However, I found out later that Mike goes much higher–400 or even higher at 450.
In my first attempt at convection 375 degrees and 40-45 minutes, I ended up using my broiler to further brown the skin. Here’s how my chicken turned out–which is NOT as brown and crunchy as Mike’s version at the higher temperature. So, next time… And perhaps the cooking time would be shorter?
And maybe, I might add a bit of fat to the chicken tops after the drying period in the refrigerator.
The organic yellow summer squash is in my grocery store now, and I’ve so been enjoying it. I like to pan fry it in a good fat–this time Ghee–and use some herbs and garlic if one has time to chop it. (Duck fat would be a good choice too.) Don’t overcook as the squash gets way too soft–so maybe higher heat and a close eye and turning frequently until browning starts.
On a gardening note, my azaeleas in the bed where I removed the Asian Jasmine are THRIVING. Clearly the Asian Jasmine was taking most of the nutrients in the soil, even when I fertilized. They are so happy now, as is the camellia down on the end.
It’s a beautiful sunny day here today, with a morning shower that fed the grass and plants.
