There are many ways to cook a chicken in the oven and really, its all down to personal taste which one you prefer. I'll share a few of my personal favourite ways of cooking a chicken in the oven and you can make up your own mind. I like:
• Roasting
• Pot roast
• Casserole
• Biryani
Roasting is the most straightforward way of cooking in the oven and produces golden crispy skin and tender, juicy meat.
• Preheat the oven to 160 (fan), 280F, 140c, gas 3
• Remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken (if included) and rinse the chicken out with cold running water
• Pat the bird dry and smear the skin with butter, salt and pepper
• For additional flavour, try sprinkling dried thyme over the skin or slicing a lemon and placing slices between the skin and flesh for a great tangy flavour
• I personally place the bird breast side down into the pan (the juices run down into the breast as its cooking, making it extra tasty), but you can put the bird breast side upwards in the pan, its entirely your choice
• Cook for one hour at this low heat and then turn the oven up to 220 (fan), 390F, 200c, gas 7 and cook for a further 30 minutes to go crispy and golden.
• Cover loosely with foil and allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes for carving
Pot roasting produces a similar juicy, tender meat, but does not brown the chicken in the same way as oven roasting.
• Preheat the oven to 150c, 300F, Gas 2
• Remove the giblets from the cavity (if included) and rinse the chicken well with cold running water
• Pat the bird dry and season inside and outside with salt and pepper
• Heat 2tbsp olive oil with 50g of butter in a large, heavy pot and add the chicken to the pot, turning over and and over to brown the skin all over. Remove from the pot.
• Add 150g of smoked bacon or pancetta and 10 cloves of garlic to the pot until golden.
• Add a generous splash of white wine and add 1kg of peeled, chunked potatoes and toss until covered in the mixture
• Add the chicken to the pot, among the potatoes and add a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• Add 300ml of chicken stock to the pot
• Bring the pan to the boil. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven for 1- 11/2 hours until the potatoes are cooked
Casserole is very similar to pot roast, except you cook the chicken in individual pieces, rather than the bird as a whole. This is my recipe for chicken chasseur
• Preheat the oven to 150c, 300F, Gas 2
• Season your chicken pieces and fry in a large, heavy saucepan until golden brown. Remove from the pan and add one chopped onion and fry until soft. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves and 200g of button mushrooms and cook for 2 - 3 minutes.
• Add 200ml of red wine to the pan and 2tbsp of tomato puree and cook for five minutes until it has reduced slightly.
• Add 3 - 4 thyme sprigs and stir in 500ml of chicken stock
• Add the chicken back to the pan, bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for around an hour, until the chicken is cooked and tender
• Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. Bring the sauce back to the boil and reduce it down quickly for 10-12 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and is a rich dark colour.
• For a lower fat option, remove the skin from the chicken before browning
Biryani
This one-pot, rice-based dish is very popular in South Asia and arabian cultures and is really quick and easy to make.
• Wash 300g of basmati rice in water until the water runs clear
• Heat 25g butter in a large pan and fry a sliced onion with a bay leaf, 4 cardamom pods and a piece of cinnamon stick for 10 minutes.
• Add 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks (or thighs), 1 tsp turmeric and 4tbsp of curry paste (its your choice) to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the washed rice to the pan, along with a handful of raisins and 850ml of chicken stock.
• Add a good, tight fitting lid to the pan and bring it to a fast boil. Lower the heat to its lowest and cook for five more minutes.
• Turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the ring for 10 more minutes.
Remove the lid and stir in a handful of chopped coriander and a handful of flaked almonds or unsalted peanuts
• Roasting
• Pot roast
• Casserole
• Biryani
Roasting is the most straightforward way of cooking in the oven and produces golden crispy skin and tender, juicy meat.
• Preheat the oven to 160 (fan), 280F, 140c, gas 3
• Remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken (if included) and rinse the chicken out with cold running water
• Pat the bird dry and smear the skin with butter, salt and pepper
• For additional flavour, try sprinkling dried thyme over the skin or slicing a lemon and placing slices between the skin and flesh for a great tangy flavour
• I personally place the bird breast side down into the pan (the juices run down into the breast as its cooking, making it extra tasty), but you can put the bird breast side upwards in the pan, its entirely your choice
• Cook for one hour at this low heat and then turn the oven up to 220 (fan), 390F, 200c, gas 7 and cook for a further 30 minutes to go crispy and golden.
• Cover loosely with foil and allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes for carving
Pot roasting produces a similar juicy, tender meat, but does not brown the chicken in the same way as oven roasting.
• Preheat the oven to 150c, 300F, Gas 2
• Remove the giblets from the cavity (if included) and rinse the chicken well with cold running water
• Pat the bird dry and season inside and outside with salt and pepper
• Heat 2tbsp olive oil with 50g of butter in a large, heavy pot and add the chicken to the pot, turning over and and over to brown the skin all over. Remove from the pot.
• Add 150g of smoked bacon or pancetta and 10 cloves of garlic to the pot until golden.
• Add a generous splash of white wine and add 1kg of peeled, chunked potatoes and toss until covered in the mixture
• Add the chicken to the pot, among the potatoes and add a few sprigs of fresh thyme
• Add 300ml of chicken stock to the pot
• Bring the pan to the boil. Cover the pan and transfer to the oven for 1- 11/2 hours until the potatoes are cooked
Casserole is very similar to pot roast, except you cook the chicken in individual pieces, rather than the bird as a whole. This is my recipe for chicken chasseur
• Preheat the oven to 150c, 300F, Gas 2
• Season your chicken pieces and fry in a large, heavy saucepan until golden brown. Remove from the pan and add one chopped onion and fry until soft. Add 2 crushed garlic cloves and 200g of button mushrooms and cook for 2 - 3 minutes.
• Add 200ml of red wine to the pan and 2tbsp of tomato puree and cook for five minutes until it has reduced slightly.
• Add 3 - 4 thyme sprigs and stir in 500ml of chicken stock
• Add the chicken back to the pan, bring to the boil and simmer on a low heat for around an hour, until the chicken is cooked and tender
• Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. Bring the sauce back to the boil and reduce it down quickly for 10-12 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and is a rich dark colour.
• For a lower fat option, remove the skin from the chicken before browning
Biryani
This one-pot, rice-based dish is very popular in South Asia and arabian cultures and is really quick and easy to make.
• Wash 300g of basmati rice in water until the water runs clear
• Heat 25g butter in a large pan and fry a sliced onion with a bay leaf, 4 cardamom pods and a piece of cinnamon stick for 10 minutes.
• Add 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks (or thighs), 1 tsp turmeric and 4tbsp of curry paste (its your choice) to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the washed rice to the pan, along with a handful of raisins and 850ml of chicken stock.
• Add a good, tight fitting lid to the pan and bring it to a fast boil. Lower the heat to its lowest and cook for five more minutes.
• Turn off the heat, but leave the pan on the ring for 10 more minutes.
Remove the lid and stir in a handful of chopped coriander and a handful of flaked almonds or unsalted peanuts
