Roast Chicken Tricks No One Thinks About

Instructions

Step 1: Chicken Prep

1. Remove the Wings
- Slice the skin where the elbow of the wing is.
- Bend the wing back until the elbow joint dislocates.
- Slice through the gap between the bones to free the wing. (Save these for roasting later!)

2. Remove the Parsons Nose
- This is the fatty tip of the tail. Simply slice it off to avoid bitterness.

3. Remove the Wishbone (Optional but helpful for carving)
- Trim some excess neck skin but leave enough to shrink during roasting.
- Feel for the two bones of the wishbone.
- Pierce your knife behind the bones and slice down, crunching through.
- Repeat on the other side, then wiggle the bone free.

4. Separate the Skin from the Meat
- Gently push your fingers between the skin and breast meat to break the membrane.
- Work from the neck end down across the meat and over the tops of the legs.
- Flip the chicken over and repeat the process down the spine and leg area.

5. Season the Meat
- Lift the chicken up, open the skin from the neck end, and sprinkle in some salt.
- Massage the salt into the meat as thoroughly as possible.
- Flip the chicken over and repeat on the other side.

6. Brine the Chicken
- Let the chicken rest for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours for deeper flavor.

---

Step 2: Poaching the Chicken

1. Prepare the Stock
- Heat 1.5 to 2 litres of chicken stock (or bouillon-based stock) to a simmer.

2. Poach the Chicken
- Carefully place the chicken into the simmering stock for 15 minutes.
- Ensure the liquid is gently simmering, not boiling.

3. Remove the Chicken
- Use silicone-tipped tongs to avoid tearing the skin.
- Place the chicken on a rack set over a roasting tray.

4. Dry the Chicken
- Let the chicken sit for 20 minutes to dry and tighten the skin.
- Meanwhile, bring your stock back to a simmer for 10 minutes to kill any bacteria.

---

Step 3: Roasting the Chicken

1. Preheat the Oven
- Set your oven to 220°C (428°F).

2. Prepare the Chicken
- Once the chicken feels dry to the touch, brush it with olive oil (or chicken fat) and sprinkle salt evenly across the skin.
- Flip the chicken over and repeat on the other side. Start roasting with the spine facing up.

3. Roast in Intervals
- Roast for **15 minutes** and then flip the chicken.
- Repeat this flipping and basting process every **15 minutes** for a total cooking time of **1 hour and 10 minutes**.
- As the fat collects on the tray, use it to baste the chicken for extra crispiness.

4. Final Temp Check
- I bring my chicken out when the deepest part of the breast is reading 75 - 80°C (167 - 76°F), you can bring this out as low as 70°C and through resting the temperature will to 75°C

5. Rest the Chicken
- Rest the chicken for at least 30 minutes before carving for juicy, tender meat.

---

Step 4: Finishing Touches

1. Carving the Chicken
- Thanks to the removed wishbone, you can now carve smooth, clean slices from the breast.

2. Making Perpetual Stock
- Collect the carcass, wings, and any leftover trimmings.
- Place them in your stock and simmer for a few hours to develop rich, flavorful stock.
- Strain and store the stock in portions for future use.

This method creates a roast chicken with crispy skin, tender meat, and a rich stock that only gets better with each use. Enjoy!