recipes

Easy, Moist and Delicious Roast Chicken Recipe

For grass-fed meat (like these Freedom Ranger chickens) it is best to cook them long and on low temperatures. They were raised more slowly than their conventional counterparts and taste best when cooked slowly.

If frozen, let your chicken thaw in the refrigerator for at least 1 full day.

Rinse and pat dry with paper towels and coat it in salt- about 1 tablespoon rubbed evenly on the skin. Then put it in the oven at 200-250 for 2-3 hours. Add a lemon to the cavity for extra flavor.

Cook chicken until the juices run clear AND internal temperature is 165 degrees. Collect drippings from the pan and pour over the meat or serve in a gravy boat for guests to add themselves.

Roast chicken with thyme and lemon
½ cup good butter, at room temperature
4 lb pastured chicken
salt and pepper
1 lemon
several sprigs of thyme or tarragon or a mixture of the two
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 450. Smear the butter with your hands all over the bird. Put the chicken in a roasting pan that will accommodate it with room to spare. Season liberally with salt and pepper and squeeze over juice of the lemon. Put the herbs, garlic and onion together with the squeezed out lemon halves in the cavity.

Roast the chicken in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Baste, then turn the oven temperature down to 375 and roast another 30-45 minutes with occasional basting. The bird should be golden brown all over with a crisp skin and have buttery lemony juices of a nut brown color in the bottom of the pan. The internal temp should read 165.

Turn off oven, leaving the door ajar, and leave the chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. This enables the flesh to relax gently, retaining the juices in the meat and ensuring easy carving and a moist bird.

Carve the bird to suit yourself. Pour off the liquids in the bottom of the pan and whisk. Pour juices over meat.

The recipe is from “Roast Chicken and other Stories” by Simon Hopkinson

Check out another great, similar easy roast chicken recipe with some more information on why pastured is best!

Chicken stock

ingredients:

1 whole chicken carcass

4 quarts cold water

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 large onion, coarsely chopped (optional)

2 carrots, coarsely chopped (optional)

3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped (optional)

Place the chicken in a stainless steel pot with cold water and vinegar and vegetables (if you are using them- I usually just use the chicken). Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 24 hours. You can use a crock pot on low if you don't want to leave your stove on that long. The longer you cook the stock the richer and more flavorful it will be. Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. Strain the stock into a jar or bowl or plastic freezer bags. Put in your fridge if you will use it in the next couple of days or store in the freezer for soups and sauces in the coming months.

Chicken Tips:

1. Take your bird(s) home in a cooler

2. If you would like to cook it soon, put it into the fridge.

3. If you would rather save it, put it in the freezer.

4. Whole chickens may take 1 to 2 days or longer to defrost in the refrigerator. Once the raw chicken defrosts, it can be kept in the refrigerator an additional day or two before cooking. During this time, if chicken defrosted in the refrigerator is not used, it can safely be refrozen without cooking first.

5. Cook chicken until the juices run clear AND internal temperature is 165 degrees.

6. Raw chickens will store in the freezer for up to 12 months.

7. Chicken may be marinated in the refrigerator up to 2 days. Boil used marinade before brushing it on cooked chicken and discard any uncooked leftover marinade.

8. If you intend to stuff a chicken, it must be stuffed immediately before cooking.