Roasted Thanksgiving Chicken
Looking for a simple and delicious alternative this Thanksgiving season? A whole chicken (or 2) is the perfect centerpiece for a Thanksgiving Feast. Juicier and more flavorful than turkey, it will have your guests going for seconds!
Here's a simple guide to get a perfectly roasted chicken on your Thanksgiving table.
1 chicken serves about 6-8 people, so if you have a big crowd coming just do 2 or 3.
Here's a picture of the finished product. Hungry yet?
-Before we get started a quick note about thawing your chicken. Its best to just put it in the fridge to thaw. If you're roasting the chicken on Thanksgiving morning be sure to get it out of the freezer and put it in the fridge on Monday.
Ingredients:
1 North Valley Pastures Whole Chicken (Order yours HERE!)
1 cup of apple juice or cider (I used juice)
1 ½ quarts of water
1/3 cup of salt
2/3 cup of brown sugar
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1 orange
2 minced garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon Peppercorns
2T Butter
Brining Directions:
-Brining adds flavor and acts like insurance against drying out.
Add apple juice or cider, water, salt, and brown sugar in a pot.
Strip the leaves off the rosemary sprigs. With a vegetable peeler strip the peel from the orange. Add the rosemary, orange peel, garlic, and peppercorns to the pot.
Bring the brine to a boil, remove from heat and cool completely.
When you’re ready to brine the chicken, place it in a large bowl or bag and pour the cooled brine over top. If you need more liquid you can add a bit more water. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for 12-16 hours.
After it has brined, pour off the solution and thoroughly rinse with water.
Roasting Directions:
Preheat oven to 275
Place chicken in a roasting pan breast side up. Cover it with heavy duty aluminum foil and place in the oven. For the first stage roast it 10 minutes for every pound of chicken. (I used a 5 pound chicken so the first stage was 50 minutes).
After the first stage remove the foil and smear the chicken with 2 tablespoons of softened butter. Raise the oven temperature to 350. Return to the oven uncovered. Continue roasting for another 1 hour. Insert a meat thermometer in the breast to check the internal temperature. It should be 165 when done. If overdone the meat will be more dry.
Let it cool just a bit before carving, Enjoy!
Pre-order your chicken HERE and pick it up at The Harrisonburg Farmers Market.
Happy Thanksgiving!