Chef’s Tip: If you want to roast vegetables for dinner as well, put them in the same pan at the halfway point. You can add carrots, asparagus, chopped onions, broccoli, or whatever raw vegetables you want so everything will be ready at the same time and you only soil one pan.
Step 5: After an hour, take the chicken out and see if it’s done by making a slight cut across the skin so you can see the leg meat inside. There will be a pool of chicken juices inside the joint that can tell you if the chicken is cooked or not. Are they clear or pink? If they’re pink put it back in the oven for another ten minutes.
Note: Once the juices “run clear” as they say, the bird will have skin that looks very dry and slightly browned. To get that golden color, spoon the juices and fat that have collected in the pan over the entire bird and put it back in the oven for another 10 minutes. You’ll see a noticeable browning. You can leave it in a few minutes longer if you want darker skin, but much longer than that and you’ll begin to overcook it.
Step 6: When the chicken is done, take it from the oven and put two tablespoons of butter on the breast of the bird to let it melt over your roast. It’s not that much and butter makes almost everything taste really, really good. Butter also tends to keep for a few weeks so it’s worth the $2. Add the thyme leaves and spoon the hot fat and pan juices over the herbs and skin- it will immediately turn the thyme an extra bright green color and release a wondrous smell.
Step 7: Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes, uncovered. This will help the chicken stay juicy. Once 15 minutes is up, carve into 4 pieces, two leg & thigh sections and two breasts. You should be able to cut the skin between the breast and thigh and then twist the entire leg off the roast without using a knife. If it won’t come off entirely, don’t hack at the bone, find where the leg meets the torso and cut the small bit of cartilage that holds them together. As a special treat, twist off the wings and share them with your date in the kitchen as a pre-dinner snack.
Step 8: Plate up your dinner and get rid of the fat and juices left in the pan, saving a quarter cup to pour over your meal. Now you can use the pan to cook some vegetables as a side such as green beans or shallots – don’t wash the pan and don’t get another one, the used pot will add flavors to whatever you cook next. If you don’t feel like veggies don’t worry - the chicken will be all either of you want to eat, at least until dessert. We’re sure you have your own ideas for that course.
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