Most recipes involve little labor after the chicken is prepared and put in the oven.
Baking (or roasting) a whole chicken is easier than it sounds, and most recipes involve little labor after the chicken is prepared and put in the oven. Here are two recipes, each with its own twist on making a tasty baked whole chicken, plus a recipe for making old-fashioned gravy.
Instructions
French Baked Chicken
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place the chicken in the pan, and cover it with soft or melted butter and salt. Pour some water in the bottom of the pan.
3. Sprinkle the bird with rosemary and thyme. Put it in the oven. Covering is recommended, but optional.
4. Bake for one to two hours, depending on the size of the bird; the usual rule is to bake 20 minutes per pound. Baste the bird every 20 to 30 minutes using the run-off fluid in the pan.
5. Remove the cover for the last 10 to 15 minutes if you covered the chicken.
Italian-Style Baked Chicken
6. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
7. Place the chicken in the pan, and rub it with olive oil and salt, and sprinkle it with oregano and basil.
8. Stuff the bird's cavity with cloves of garlic.
9. Bake one to two hours, depending on the size of the bird; again, the usual rule is to bake 20 minutes per pound. Baste the bird every 20 to 30 minutes using the run-off fluid in the pan.
10. Remove the cover for the last 10 to 15 minutes if you covered the chicken.
Gravy
11. Put some flour in the bottom of a skillet. If you baked a small bird, use 1 tbsp.; for a big bird, use 2 to 3 tbsp.
12. Stir in some water and stir until the flour is dissolved.
13. Add 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper for a little gravy, and twice that for a lot of gravy.
14. Pour the pan run-off fluid into the skillet, and stir thoroughly.
15. Turn on the burner to high, and cook while stirring. It will form a thick gravy.
Tags: Baked Chicken, run-off fluid, after chicken, after chicken prepared, Bake hours, Bake hours depending, bake minutes
