This is not a traditional roast but it is delicious and best of all it is a no-brainer to cook :D

Ingredients

1 whole fresh chicken [if your chicken is frozen thaw it /before/ trying to cook it!]
1 [or more] medium sized potatoes, or sweet potatoes, per person.
Salt

What to do and why

Turn oven on. Set heat to 375F or 180C [this is a moderate oven temp.]
Sprinkle salt all over chicken and pat into the skin.
Place chicken in a baking dish. No need to add oil or butter or anything else as the chicken cooks in its own juices and you end up with crisp, salty skin.
Put baking dish in the oven
Scrub each potato under cold water so the skin is nice and clean
Do not prick skin of potato! It will steam in its jacket so you want to keep it whole.
Place the potatoes on the oven rack around the baking dish. Try and leave enough room around them so that the hot air can circulate.
After 1/2 an hour check the roast. A small to medium chicken will take about an hour. The bigger the chicken the longer it will take to roast. Turn the baking dish around to make sure the chicken bakes evenly.
Turn each potato over. They should be starting to feel 'less hard'.
Continue baking for another 1/2 hour
Check the roast again. By now the chicken should be nicely browned. Get a sharp, pointy implement - toothpick, skewer, even a sharp fork - and press it into the fleshy part of the thigh, near the bone. If the juice that comes out is a clear, golden colour then dinner is done. If it comes out pink then give it another ten minutes. Stick the pointy implement into the potato as well. If it goes in easily the potato is cooked as well.
To serve : Take the chicken out of the oven and let it sit while you cut each potato in half and put a dollop of butter or sour cream in the middle of each half. Then carve your bird and sit down to your first roast dinner! In place of a normal 'gravy' you can spoon a little of the pan juices over the chicken. I like it.

I haven't mentioned the dread word 'vegetable' so far because I'm a realist however...a bit of salad or even a cut up tomato would go well with this roast...just a suggestion ;)

Vilu Roast - Alternative

This is exactly the same recipe but it uses chicken pieces instead of a whole chicken so I've adjusted the instructions and times to suit.

Ingredients

2 chicken pieces per person [if your chicken is frozen thaw it /before/ trying to cook it!]
1 [or more] small potatoes, or sweet potatoes, per person. [whopping big potatoes will still be half raw by the time the chicken pieces are done!]
Salt

What to do and why

Turn oven on. Set heat to 375F or 180C [this is a moderate oven temp.]
Sprinkle salt all over chicken pieces and pat into the skin.
Place chicken pieces in a baking dish - skin side UP. No need to add oil or butter or anything else as the chicken cooks in its own juices and you end up with crisp, salty skin.
Put baking dish in the oven
Scrub each potato under cold water so the skin is nice and clean
Do not prick skin of potato! It will steam in its jacket so you want to keep it whole.
Place the potatoes on the oven rack around the baking dish. Try and leave enough room around them so that the hot air can circulate.
After 20 minutes check the roast. The skin should be starting to turn golden. Turn the baking dish around to make sure the chicken bakes evenly.
Turn each potato over. They should be starting to feel 'less hard'.
Continue baking for another 10 - 15 minutes
Check the roast again. By now the chicken should be nicely browned. Get a sharp, pointy implement - toothpick, skewer, even a sharp fork - and press it into the fleshy part of the thigh, near the bone. If the juice that comes out is a clear, golden colour then dinner is done. If it comes out pink then give it another ten minutes. Stick the pointy implement into the potato as well. If it goes in easily the potato is cooked as well.
To serve : Take the chicken out of the oven and let it sit while you cut each potato in half and put a dollop of butter or sour cream in the middle of each half. Serve up the chicken pieces next to the potatoes. If you like you can spoon a little of the pan juices over the chicken. This is not the same as 'gravy' but it tastes nice anyway.

I haven't mentioned the dread word 'vegetable' so far because I'm a realist however...a bit of salad or even a cut up tomato would go well with this roast...just a suggestion ;)

July 16, 2005