One Hour Whole Roasted Chicken

 

Ingredients:

•  3 ½ - 4 ½ pound whole chicken, neck removed
  1 lemon, cut in halved
  1 head of garlic, halved
  Few sprigs of thyme, rosemary, parsley, sage
• 5 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 2 tsp EACH: salt & pepper

Directions: 

1.  Position a rack in the center of the oven & preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place the chicken on a cutting board and pat dry using paper towels. Season the inside of the cavity with ½ teaspoon of salt. Place the lemon halves, garlic head, and herbs inside the cavity. Place the chicken breast-side up in a large cast-iron skillet or an oven-safe frying pan. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon of salt all over.

2.  Melt the butter in the microwave and using a pastry brush, brush half the butter generously all over the chicken, save remaining butter do not discard. Sprinkle with pepper.

3.  Roast chicken for 20 minutes, remove from oven, brush on the remaining butter mixture. Place the chicken back into the oven and continue roasting for 25 minutes. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh and check to make sure it registers at 165 degrees F. Continue to roast for an additional 10-15 minutes for 4 to 4-1/2 lb chicken. Remove  from the oven and allow for it to rest for 15-30 minutes before carving.

Chicken Soup from Scratch

BROTH:

• 1 chicken, 3 to 3 1/2 pounds, with skin, cut up
• 3 stalks celery, with leaves, cut into chunks
• 2 large carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 yellow onions, peeled and halved
•  About 1 dozen large sprigs parsley
•  About 1 dozen black peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste

TO FINISH THE SOUP:

• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into small dice
•  Kosher salt and ground black or white pepper
•  Egg noodles (fresh or dried)
•  Finely chopped herbs, such as parsley, scallions, dill or a combination
• 
  
• 1. Place the chicken, celery, carrots, onions, parsley, peppercorns, bay leaves and salt in a large soup pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch.
• 2. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to very low. Adjust the heat to simmer and cook uncovered, until the chicken is very tender and falling off the bone, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• 3. When cool enough to handle, use tongs to transfer chicken from the pot to a container. Taste the broth and continue to simmer it until it is concentrated and tasty. Strain broth into a separate container. 
• 4. Refrigerate chicken pieces and broth separately for at least 8 hours (or up to 3 days)
• 5. When ready to finish the soup, use your fingers to separate chicken breast meat from bones and skin. Discard bones and skin. Use two forks to pull the breast meat apart into soft chunks, or use a knife and cut into bite-size pieces. Reserve dark meat for another use.
• 6. Skim chicken fat from top of broth. Pour broth into pot with carrots and heat to a simmer. Add noodles and simmer until heated through, soft and plumped with chicken broth. Add the breast meat, then taste broth and add salt and pepper to taste. For best flavor, soup should have a few golden droplets of fat on top; if needed, add some chicken fat one teaspoon at a time.
• Serve immediately, sprinkling each serving with herbs.

Alabama-style White Barbecue Sauce

This barbecue sauce uses mayo as a base and combines horseradish, vinegar and lemon for a bright pop of flavor.  Use this sauce on drumsticks and wings from the grill or oven.

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients together until smooth.  Refrigerate up to 2 weeks. 

Fried Chicken with Hot Honey

3 cups gluten-free white rice flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1-1/4 tsp salt
1 cup canola or avocado oil
3 lbs drumsticks & wings
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons hot sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper




1.  Place 1-1/2 cups rice flour in a shallow baking dish and set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk remaining 1-1/2 cups rice flour with baking soda, onion powder, garlic powder and 1 tsp salt.  Stir in 1-1/2 cups of water to form a batter.

2.  In a heavy, deep 12-inch skillet, heat the oil on medium-high until hot but not smoking (about 325 on a deep-fry thermometer).

3.  Meanwhile, dip the chicken into wet batter, letting excess drip off.  Then dip into reserved flour, tossing to coat.  Place on a large sheet of parchment.

4.  Add half of the chicken to the hot oil.  Fry 8-12 minutes, until cooked through, turning occasionally and adjusting heat to maintain temperature.  Repeat with remaining chicken.

5.  Arrange a wire rack over a sheet of foil and transfer fried chicken on top.  Season with remaining 1/4 tsp salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the honey, hot sauce and black pepper.  Serve chicken with the hot honey for dipping.

Serves 6.