13 Mar Whole Roasted Chicken

 

Adam and I are not that into movies. The last movie we saw in a theater was… the last Harry Potter?

We also have hard time on agreeing on movies to watch at home. He is more into things like Shawshank Redemption and Gladiator, while I like a good Nicolas Sparks remake.

While we can’t agree on action vs. romance, we do love a movie that tells a good story with smart, funny, intelligent banter. Think Social Network, The Help, Argo, or Juno.

There’s a part in Juno that always makes me laugh. (Okay, there are a few.)  But, in this particular scene the characters are talking about a girl at their school and how she smells like soup.  How her house smells like soup.
I laugh not because I think this is somehow hilarious. I laugh because I can’t help but wonder that that is what kids will think about our house… but instead of soup, it will smell like roasted chicken.

We roast a chicken… often. At least twice a month.

I, personally, love the smell. It’s cozy, warm and delicious.

But, more than the smell, I love the taste of a roasted whole chicken.

There are lots of marinades and spices you can put on a roasted chicken, but we have found that the flavor from a bird raised on pasture is so tasty that we like to keep it really simple only using salt and pepper. If we are feeling a little fancy, garlic, lemon and rosemary make a great compliment to the flavor of the meat too.

It’s taken a little while to get it right, but at this point we have the cooking process down to a science. It gets a little time at a higher heat to crisp up the skin, then we knock it down so it can go low and slow ensuring a juicy bird that is cooked the whole way through.

And, even more than the taste, I love a whole roasted chicken for all you can make with it. Adam and I will normally carve the breasts out for our first meal from the bird. But, it doesn’t stop there. A whole chicken can help us with three to four meals! We may shred it for soup or tacos the next day. Cut off the leg and thigh for another meal. Chop the meat for lettuce wraps or a chicken salad. And, we always save the carcass for stock.

So, if you worry about the investment or the cooking process with a whole chicken, fear not.  Both are so worth it.

… I just can’t make any promises that your home won’t be the house kids think smells like roasted chicken. But, if they do, you are in good company (Hi friend!) and- let’s be real- there are far worse things. 😉

Don’t forget to sign up for the Bulk Chicken Membership to enjoy whole chicken throughout the summer.  For more information and to sign up visit bentarrowacres.com/shop/.