The COVID Chronicles #84: Turmeric Roasted Chicken

 

I have been experimenting and perfecting a recipe for the perfect roasted chicken. Now, I admit, I've had a lot of help from the Tasty website and their recommended roasted chicken recipe so I do follow the basics from that recipe, but what I like to do is experiment with flavors and seasonings. Today, my experimentations led to Turmeric Roasted Chicken

You start with a whole chicken. I actually prefer to purchase whole chickens because it is the cheapest way to purchase chickens. I'm not kidding! The nearest Fry's often has whole roasting chickens for $1.49/pound, which means I  can purchase a whole chicken for less than $10. I often buy 2 at a time and I always look for the heaviest chickens, which are usually anywhere from 6 to 6.5 pounds. 

I start by patting the chicken dry with a paper towel. Then I salting my chicken. This is called brining. Normally I like to leave the brine on for 8-12 hours prior to cooking to really dry out the skin which will make it very crispy, but I didn't have time to do that with this chicken, but I did season it with sea salt. After seasoning both sides of the bird with sea salt, including the cavity, I sprinkled on the turmeric and spread it with a gloved hand. You need to be careful with turmeric because it will stain your clothes so make sure you wear an apron or wear clothes you don't give a shit about. 

After you have seasoned your bird, let it sit in a glass pan for 1 hour to come to room temperature. While it's sitting with the seasoning on it, preheat your oven to 450 degrees. 

Once your oven has reached 450 degrees, put a cast iron skillet or roasting pan in the oven to preheat for 5-10 minutes. Also, put about a tablespoon of oil in the pan or pour enough in to cover the bottom of the pan. 

After the skillet and the oil have pre-heated, lower your bird onto the hot skillet and put it back in the over for 1 hour. Make sure you're not using a Pyrex pan because those are only rated to 425 degrees. I know this from personal experience because twice I have baked my chicken in a glass Pyrex pan and both times the pan cracked and disintegrated in the oven while it was cooking. The first time was my fault because I poured cold water into the pan to prevent the dripping grease from smoking up the kitchen, but the 2nd time the pan just cracked and broke apart in the oven and the chicken had to be thrown away lest we got any glass in the chicken. (After the 2nd occurrence, Wife made me check the heat rating for Pyrex pans....)

After one hour of cooking remove the chicken the oven and the pan and allow it to rest of a wooden chopping board for 20-30 minutes.

This was my result.....

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