My Sunday Comfort Food

I love making a roast chicken on Sundays. I do it one of two ways....either low and slow - and the result is like the roasted chickens you get at the grocery store. Here is the recipe I use --

Roasted Chicken

2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper1
Whole chicken
1 c. chopped onion

In a small bowl, mix all seasonings. Drizzle some olive oil on the chicken. Rub mixture into chicken - inside and out - patting mixture into skin. Stuff cavity with onions. Scatter some carrots and onions around the chicken. Roast uncovered at 250 degrees for about 5 hours, basting occasionally with pan juices until chicken is golden brown. This is a very moist chicken. Check your thigh (not yours, the chicken's) to see if the temp is 180 degrees.

I've made a big batch of the seasoning and keep it in a jar in my cupboard. I use it for other things although for the life of me I can't think of single thing right now.

Today, though, the damn chicken wouldn't thaw. So I used my other method.

Basic Roasted Chicken

Whole chicken
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper (actually today I used lemon pepper)
1 onion

You got it....drizzle the chicken with olive oil and season with WHATEVER. Really. Sometimes I use Lawry Season Salt. I don't EVER use garlic powder....it burns. Again, scatter some veg around the chicken. Tonight I used butternut squash with wedges of onion. It was yummy.

Roast at 425 degrees for about an hour and half. But I check at an hour fifteen with the thermometer because I don't want the white meat to dry out so as soon as that dark meat is done...or even almost done, I'm whipping it out of the oven. Let it rest for about 15 minutes to let it finish cooking and it's also easier to slice.