Tag: whole chicken

• 

  How Do I Butterfly Or Spatchcock A Chicken

  A whole chicken, especially the larger birds, can take longer to get all of the meat to a safe temperature.

  So, a great way to have a roast chicken on the bone, in less time, is to butterfly or split the whole bird. This is also called spatchcocking. It is almost as simple as cutting the chicken in half but the result is a flat profile that cooks evenly.

  Chicken Halves

  Halving a chicken is still a good skill to learn. Simply place the whole bird length ways in front of you, breast side up. Using a long sharp knife or cleaver simply cut straight down through the middle. The breast bone will guide you.

  You could even flatten each half out a bit with the heel of your hand.

  

  Butterflyed\Spatchcocked Chicken

  Place the whole bird length ways, breast down. Using kitchen shears, cut along each side of the backbone, removing it entirely.

  

  Then slice in into the cartilage at the top of the breastbone (see the next photo) and pop the breastbone out. Run your finger along the soft part of the breastbone and it should come out in one piece. I have embedded the excellent YouTube video that taught me how to do this at the bottom of the post.

  

  

  Tidy the fat and skin up. Flip the chicken over and flatten it slightly with your hands.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  How to remove the breastbone easily:

  Here are more chicken primal cuts and uses of butterflied chicken:

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  October 1, 2017

• 

  PK’s Slow Cooker Whole Chicken

  This mouth-watering dish is designed to be super thrifty and dead easy to boot. I managed to use some old tired veggies and to get a free-range chook on special. I am also happy to say it took longer to eat the dish than it did to prepare it.

  I simply took a whole chicken, patted it dry and stuffed it with a whole lemon. I then rubbed a very generous amount of garlic salt, celery salt, ground black pepper and parsley flakes into the skin. The bird then went into a slow cooker that already had a bed of roughly chopped onions, carrots, a whole garlic bulb and a cup of white wine.

  

  8 hours on low and the meat was moist and falling off the bone 🙂 . I was very pleased because chicken is a lean meat and can dry out in a slow cooker if you are not careful.

  

  

  Serving

  I served it with some extra steamed vegetables on a bed of white basmati rice.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  P.S. I have a oven variant of this recipe here.

  And here are some more chicken dishes and slow cooker recipes: 

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  September 15, 2017

• 

  PK’s Coq Au Vin

  I have been sitting on this post for about 9 months now because I wasn’t sure it looked appealing. I was worried that you wouldn’t be inspired enough to try it.

  Sometimes though we need to be reminded that we are our own worst critic and a good friend of mine just did that. She said its picture looked ‘tasty and who cares what it looks like anyway’ and this made me remember that this blog is all about food connection and the way food makes you feel.

  So here it is :).

  Coq au vin is a “peasant” French dish of braised chicken (cockerel traditionally) in red wine with a generous heap of bacon, onion, carrots and celery. I should have served with more sauce than shown in the photos below but rest assured the chicken was lovely and tender :).

  You will be:

  1. Preparing your ingredients
  2. Browning the chicken
  3. Making the sauce
  4. Slow cook everything
  5. Reducing the sauce
  6. Serving.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • a whole chicken, skin off, cut into quarters (mine was about 1.3kg)
    • 1 celery stick, chopped
    • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
    • 140g bacon, chopped (I used ‘short cut’ rashers)
    • 1 large brown onion, sliced
    • black peppercorns to taste, cracked
    • 1 cup plain flour to dust the chicken pieces
    • a good slug of olive oil
    • 2 cups red wine
    • 1/2 cup homemade chicken stock
    • A handful of small or chopped mushrooms
  •  Equipment:
    • a long sharp knife
    • a chopping board
    • an oven proof dish
    • tongs
    • a wooden spoon
    • a dish to keep chicken warm

  Preparing your ingredients

  1. Chop the 1 large brown onion into quarters or slices depending on your preference (you could even use a few whole shallots instead).
  2. Chop the 2 carrots and the celery stick the way you want too (sometime I prefer larger pieces of vegetables in this dish).
  3. Quarter the whole chicken (I recommend this knife), remove the skin and dust in flour and black pepper.
  4. Chop the 140g of bacon.

  

  

  Browning the chicken

  1. Chuck a good slug of olive oil in the oven proof dish and put it on the hob (medium heat).
  2. Brown chicken on all sides.
  3. Take the chicken pieces out, put them on a plate and chuck them in an oven on very low heat to keep them warm.

  

  

  Making the sauce

  1. Put a good slug of red wine to moisten the oven proof dish and then add the:
     • 1 celery stick, chopped
     • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
     • 140g bacon, chopped
     • 1 large brown onion, sliced
  2. Throw in the handful of chopped mushrooms.
  3. Add the remainder of the 2 cups red wine and bring to the boil to cook off the alcohol.
  4. Replace the chicken, cover and put the hob on low heat.

   

  

  Slow cook everything

  Cook for about an hour, turning the chicken every now and again.

  Reducing the sauce

  Remove the chicken again and put it back into the oven to keep it warm while you reduce the rest of the sauce.

  

  

  Serving

  Mashed or boiled potatoes will go a treat and I also recommend adding some steamed snow peas pods and a nice crusty baguette :).

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Related Links:

  • See more chicken recipe posts here

   

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  August 31, 2017

• 

  Ben’s Magic Butterflied BBQ Chicken

  A BBQ purist will argue that the term “barbeque” refers to the low and slow style of southern American cooking, which turns even the cheapest cuts of meat into delicious, tender joy.

  The Aussie BBQ should really be the Aussie grill, as it is the grill on which the shrimp is thrown.  Personally, I could care less, however more and more I am enjoying getting into the low and slow style of cooking.  Perhaps one day I’ll do a 18 hour pulled pork like Growchow (see Grochow’s BBQ Pulled Pork).  One day!

  In the meantime there is the BBQ chicken.  This recipe combines a bit of both – low and slow(ish) with a quick grill at the end.  It also uses splayed chicken, which is probably my favourite way of cooking chicken.

  Steps:

  1. Buy a whole chook, brine overnight in a not quite so salty brine (see Ben’s Brining Tips)
  2. In the morning, splay the chook by cutting out its backbone (save this to fry up for chicken gravy/sauce at a later date)
  3. Put together some of DryStuff: Ben’s Magic Chicken Dry Rub
  4. Rub 2/3 of the rub all over the chook, both sides, and put it in the fridge until later
  5. Make up the Ben’s Magic BBQ Sauce
  6. Ok, so now it’s time for the low and slow part.  Get the chook out, drain the juice off of it and re-apply the magic rub
     • If you are using a gas cooker, turn one on high and get the BBQ up to about 130-140c.  then place the chook on the opposite side, and turn the gas down low.  You want it to cook on a grill on indirect heat.  My gas BBQ only has one control, so I use a hotplate on one side to try and get some indirect heat happening.
     • If you are using charcoal, do the same as the above, but place the charcoal all off to one side.
     • Place the chook on the grill skin side up for about 20 minutes, then flip for about 10.  Be careful to rotate so you don’t overcook one side of the chook.  Once it’s skin side up again, give it a quick baste with the BBQ sauce, and leave it
  7. Now for the hot and fast part. When the internal temp of the chook is about 65-72c (~1 hour ish), give the skin one more baste and put it on the hot grill skin side down.  Keep basting and turning and basting and turning basting and turning until the internal temp is 82c.  it is very important not to abandon the chook at this stage – the skin will burn at the drop of a hat, and the sugar in the sauce may catch fire (don’t worry, it looks good but won’t do any damage)
  8. Once cooked, set aside for 5 minutes, carve up and serve!  Keep some of the BBQ sauce spare to drizzle over the final product

  Low and slow:

  

  So good:

  

  Cheers,

  Ben

   

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  March 23, 2017

• 

  Ben’s Magic Chicken Dry Rub

  Ben’s latest concoction is a magic dry rub for use on chicken. I tasted the butterflied chicken he used it on (recipe to come) and it was mouth-watering and oh so smokey.

  ---

  All you have to do is take:

  1. Equal parts salt, sugar and garlic powder, maybe 2 Tbsp each.
  2. Smoked paprika (sweet works well too) and chilli to taste.
  3. A dash of mustard powder.
  4. A good grind of black pepper.

  Combine in a shaker and mix well.

  Here is PK using it on some chicken pieces. Don’t turn you your back when cooking with this rub. The sugar can easily burn!

  

  Cheers,

  Ben

  Here are some more posts bt Ben and chicken recipes : 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  March 20, 2017

• 

  PK’s NoRecipe Butter Stuffed Skin Roast Chicken

  Wow! This method of cooking a roast chook is probably not going to get the heart foundation tick any time soon but it is off the charts tasty.

  Lot’s of recipes on the internet use this method and I am simply combining it with my favourite stuffing mix of garlic, onion, italian herbs (such as savory and thyme) and a lemon or lime.

  

  Carefully work the skin away from the meat, starting at the breasts then around the legs and under the wings, so that you can stuff butter or garlic butter into the gap. Try not to break the skin but it doesn’t matter to much if you do. Work butter into the outside of the skin too and season with pepper and salt to taste.

  

  Rough chop the onion, garlic and herbs then stuff this mix along with a lemon into the cavity.

  

  Pop the chicken into a covered oven pan and then into a fan-forced oven (preheated to 180C) for about 1.5 hours.

  

  You should cook to temperature though and not time. Based on my Urban Griller temperature fridge magnet, I check that my roast chickens have an internal temperature of 83C.

  

  You can also make your own gravy using the juices from the pan. Take the wing tips off the roast chicken and add to the pan. Throw in a bit of corn flour and whisk.

  

  Serve on a bed of mash potato and sides of steamed vegetables. The glass of red is optional :).

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

   

   

   

   

   

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  March 2, 2017

• 

  A Simple Greek Chicken Roast

  This is a simple chicken roast, marinated in mix of thyme, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice and olive oil. It looks and smells amazing!

  Here I have halved a whole chicken by cutting right down the middle. You could also butterfly it using this method.

  

   

  If you have at least a 4.5 hours in advance:

  • chuck several good slugs of olive oil and lemon juice into a snap lock bag.
  • add into the bag a handful of chopped thyme and oregano and 1 -2 diced garlic cloves.
  • also add some salt and pepper.
  • close the bag and mix everything around.
  • add the chicken halves, close the bag again and massage it for a bit, getting the marinade into every nook and cranny.
  • leave it in the fridge for at least 2 hours (over night is better).
  • preheat your oven to 160C and get the chicken out of the fridge.
  • cook the chicken in an non-stick oven tray for about 2 hours.

  If you don’t have time, follow this shortcut:

  • chuck several good slugs of garlic infused olive oil and lemon juice into a bowl.
  • add the other ingredients as above and mix with a fork.
  • preheat your oven to 160C.
  • massage some of the marinade into the chicken.
  • cook the chicken in an oven tray for about 2 hours, turning and basting with the marinade every 30 minutes or so.

  Marinated and already looking good:

  

  Two hours at 160C:

  

  A perfect summer’s day meal, just add salad and friends:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more chicken recipes and roasting posts: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  February 23, 2017

• 

  PK’s Dry Rub Split Roast Chicken

  I am going through a real roast chicken phase at the moment. Roasting whole birds in my weber is my preferred method but this time I have gone back into the kitchen. This dry rubbed roast chicken will be the tastiest, moistest chicken you have tasted. The idea came from noblepig.com and involves dry rubbing the chicken in advance and then basting it every 15 minutes with a wet marinade.

  

  Notes:

  • If you’re doing this for dinner I recommend getting the dry rub on the chicken at least that morning or the night before and leaving uncovered in the fridge.
  • Cooking time will vary on the size of the bird so cook to internal temperature and not time.
  • The basting sauce can be knocked up just before the roasting stage.
  • I keep my basting brush clean in between basting cycles by rinsing it under running water and then letting it stand in boiling water.

  You will be:

  1. Preparing the chicken.
  2. Cooking the chicken.
  3. Serving.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • PK’s Dry Rub – Chicken #1
    • PK’s Basting Sauce – Chicken #1
    • a whole chicken, split down the middle
  •  Equipment:
    • a chopping board
    • a large meat cleaver or similar
    • a tray or dish to let the chicken marinade
    • a basting brush
    • an oven tray with a rack

  Steps:

  Preparing the chicken.

  1. Split your chicken down the middle (or ask your butcher to do it).
  2. Flatten each side a bit with your hands.
  3. Sprinkle the dry rub all over, inside and out and work it in to every nook and cranny.
  4. Then pop it back into the fridge for at least the best part of a day.

  Splitting the chicken:

  

  Work in those spices:

  

   Cooking the chicken

  1. Place the chicken skin up on an oven rack. I had to improvise with a biscuit cooling tray and my wife was not amused :).
  2. Give the skin side a good basting and cook for 15 minutes at 195C in a fan forced oven.
  3. Flip the sides, baste again and cook for another 15 minutes.
  4. Repeat this process until the meat is cooked through.

  The rack helps with the air flow for even cooking:

  

  Done and it looks like a bought one:

  

  Serving

  I simply quartered the sides of chicken and then served with a nice green salad.

  

  I am so lucky as only I like the legs and wings in my family:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  February 2, 2017

• 

  Beer Can Chicken Roasting Rack

  I got this beer can chicken roasting rack from Bunnings, for a steal. I used it with a half full can of beer the first time and the result was very pleasing. The rack keeps the chicken vertical, allowing the fat to drip away. The beer keeps the inside of the chicken moist.

  Between you and me though, I prefer to skip the beer can and use a lemon instead. The lemon keeps the stuffing inside the chicken, imparts a beautiful citrus aroma and keeps the chicken just as moist.

  

  

  Check out the result:

  

  

  Try your favourite dry rub or marinade.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are more chicken dishes and kitchen kit posts:

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  October 23, 2016

• 

  Ben’s Butterflied Chook

  This dish by Ben is one of his favorites and he says you can easily double the recipe so you have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch :).

  He got his friend Louise to road test the recipe recently using these steps:

  1. So get a butterflied chook from the butcher and brine (see Ben’s Brining Tips for how) the chook overnight.
  2. Dry the skin with paper towel and leave it in the fridge uncovered for the day.
  3. Make a rub with:
     1. 2 x red Chili
     2. 2 x cloves Garlic
     3. 1cm sq lump Ginger
     4. Small bunch Coriander or 1 tsp powder
     5. 2-3 tbsp Honey
     6. 1 tbsp mustard
     7. 1 x Lime juice and the zest of ½ a Lime
     8. a slug of vegetable oil
     9. ~1 tsp salt
  4. Rub the chook about 2 hours before cooking.
  5. Cook on bbq (charcoal preferred):
     1. Start with the skin down until it is crispy.
     2. Then turn bone side down, shut the lid and cook at ~150/180 till cooked.

  The preparation stage is what makes this dish so tasty:

  After cooking it will look as awesome as Louise’s:

  

  Enjoy everyone and thanks again Lou,

  Ben

  See more of Ben’s posts here.

  Hot Tip: You can recover the chicken bones to make bone meal for your garden.

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  September 13, 2016