You have now seen a number of techniques mentioned. They are very different. Slow & low, hot sear followed by slow roast, fast roast, medium roast, steaming. I'm talking about cooking temps above. And they will all give you great chicken, if you time them just right.
I have been cooking for my family, an many friends on various occasions, for over thirty years. I'm an engineering kind of guy, and a bit of a scientist, and a lover of great food. And so, I have experimented with many ways to bake, roast, broil, grill, fry, and barbecue chicken. There is one constant to all meat cooking techniques; and that is to remove the bird when the internal meat temperature is just right. And just what is that magic temperature? The perfect meat temperature is (drum roll please) 155 degrees F. Ta-da.
Following the roasting process, and removal of the bird when it reaches 155, you need to allow the chicken to rest. It will continure vcooking from the hotter meat surface into the inner meat. The final temperature, after 15 minutes is 165. This will insure safe meat without overcooking it.
I won't go into the "how temperature affects meat" in this discussion. Rather, I'm going to echo the others. Rub with fat, be it peanut oil, sesame oil, butter, olive oil, or even bacon fat. Lightly season with salt and any other herbs and spices you want to use. You can fill the cavity with aromatics or not. It doesn't affect the texture or tenderness of the chicken. If you want to enhance the meat flavor, inject with chicken broth, or rub seasonings under the skin before cooking, or brine. Again, it won't affect the meat texture. If you want crispy skin, cook in a hot oven (425 to 450 degrees F.). If you don't want smoke in your house, cook at a lower temperature (325 to 375). And that constant I was talking about, meat temperature, use a meat thermometer you can leave in the bird while roasting. Allow ten minutes per pound with high temp. roasting, or 12 minutes a pound with low temp roasting. Start checking the thermometer when the time has elapsed. You won't quite have reached the desired meat temp of 155 yet, but should be within 5 to 10 degrees of it. After that, check in 10 minute intervals until the thermometer reads 155. Remove the bird from the oven and let it sit for a minimum of ten minutes before carving to allow the meat juices that have accumulated just under the skin to re-distribute themselves back into the meat. Your chicken will be perfect.
Ideas for ways to flavor your bird:
1. Wrap uncooked bird in raw bacon. Set on a wire rack elevated above the roasting pan bottom. Roast at 375 for 40 minutes, then remove the bacon. Place back into the oven and cook to the proper meat temperature of 155. Use accumulated juices to make gravy.
2. Rub the cleaned and dried chicken with butter. make a mixture of 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp marjarom, 1/4 tsp each of thyme and sage, and 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Sprinkle all over the chicken. Place on elevated wire rack in roasting pan and roast until meat thermometer reads 155.
3. Using a sharp boning or paring knife, insert knife blade deep into the chicken meat, through the skin. Alternately fill the slits with sprigs of rosemary and pork fat. Place on elevated rack and roast at 350 until meat reads 155.
4. Create your favorite rub mixture and rub it under the skin. Rub softened butter or oil all over the skin surface. Lightly season the skin with salt and pepper. Place on rack and roast at 425 until meat reads 155.
5. Make a glazing solution of water, honey, and sage. Start with maybe a cup of water with 2 tbs. honey. Taste and see if it's sweet enough for you. brush glaze over the entire bird. Place uncovered into you refridgerator and let sit for 15 minutes or so. Brush again and place onto an elevated wire rack in the roasting pan. Roast at 350 for 15 minutes. Brush with more glaze. Roast 15 minutes more and brush with glaze. Continue this routine until the meat reads 155.
Other glazes can be honey mustard, teryaki, peach or appricot, orange juice, sweet & sour, barbecue sauce, etc.
With all of the above techniques, you can place veggies such as celery, onions, chunks of celriac (celery root), rutabegga, green beans, potatoes, carrots, or whatever you like in the pan bottom along with a cup and a half of water. This will allow the dripping juices to flavor the veggies as everything roasts. You will be rewarded with an incredible broth for gravy, and some very tasty veggies.
In summary, no matter what technique you use, remove the chicken from the oven at 155 and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes. You can't go wrong from there.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
I've got a whole chicken in the freezer, so will likely be pulling the Showtime rotisserie out (I love that thing!).
