I’d only baked a chicken once before, last year on Easter, but it came out fine so I figured when I decided to roast another chicken (using the same recipe I might add) that I’d be an old pro by now. Unfortunately, overconfidence in the kitchen is not a good thing. It all started out well. The best kitchen “disasters” usually do. I seasoned and stuffed the bird without incident. Then I popped it in the oven for an hour. I even tented it so that it wouldn’t brown too quickly, and basted it religiously with the Citrus and herb glaze.
It took me 3 hours to realize that I was cooking the chicken upside down. Yes, I basted the underside of the chicken. The breast was sitting “face down” in the pan the entire time. I finally clued into this fact when I noticed that the little white “I’m done” button seemed to have disappeared. And by disappeared, I mean was actually on the bottom of the roasting rack.
Of course it was all down hill from there. While divulging my kitchen shame to CK I ended up burning the aromatics for the stuffing and had to throw them out and start all over again. By the time we sat down to eat I was just grateful to have a plate of food. Thankfully the meat was still tender and tasty, but I felt like a complete fool. So please enjoy my “Upside Down” chicken in all its glory! Maybe I’ll start a new trend…
 Right Side Up (Note Button) |
 Garlic, Oranges, and Lemon Wedges |
 The Balancing Chicken Act |
 Where it all Went Wrong |
 Add Stock to the Pan |
 Prep the Glaze |
 Combine |
 Baste, Baste, Baste |
 Tent with Foil |
 Melt Butter for Stuffing |
 Saute the Onions & Celery |
 Crumble in the Muffins |
 The Unveiling |
 What Happens in the Kitchen… |
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Erin:
Stuffing is EVIL!!!!!!
I am willing to wager a large amount of my small income that the breasts in no way shape or form dried out. A technique that I sometimes use with turkey, when I don’t have the time to brine it, is during cooking, turn the bird breast side down so that the juices run through the white meat.
Might I suggest that, next time, you create a diamond with the foil and only tent the breast meat? You really want the legs exposed. Then halfway through, remove the tent.
I would also suggest that you just pull that little white popper thingy from the breast and throw it away. Either 15 minutes per or use a thermometer in the leg meat is more efficient, I have found.
The method I use is to bake 15/lb and try to shake hands with the drumstick. If the joint feels really loose, it’s done.
Hey look, I feel ya, I sometimes get a bit, ahem…, “strong-minded” in my kitchen. I think a lot of us do. But, hey, how else would we become decent cooks? 🙂