Easy rotisserie chicken recipe from Derrick Reinhardt of McKiernan

Easy rotisserie chicken from Derrick Reinhardt of McKiernan

Ingredients

• 1 (3-4 pound) chicken
• 4 generous pinches of salt
• black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 8 sprigs thyme (optional)
• 1/2 lemon (optional)

• 1 1/2 cups of diced potato
• 8 small carrots
• 1/2 head fennel cut into large squares (toonie size)
• 1/4 white onion cut in the same way as the fennel
• 4 cloves of garlic

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Prepare your vegetables. (If you are not using vegetables, skip to the next step.) Place them in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet, season with salt and black pepper, and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
3. Pat your chicken dry with a paper towel and place on a baking sheet.
4. Season the inside and outside of the chicken with your 4 generous pinches of salt and black pepper.
5. Stuff the chicken with the thyme and lemon.
6. Tie the chicken as shown in the video.
7. Place the chicken on top of your vegetables or in a roasting pan if you are not cooking the vegetables.
8. Place in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 425 degrees F.
9. After 20 minutes, coat the chicken with the butter and rotate the roasting pan 180 degrees to ensure even cooking.
10. Baste your chicken every 10 minutes with the pan juices.
11. Cooking time will vary between 60 and 70 minutes, depending on the size of the bird. For best results, use an instant read meat thermometer where the thigh-bone meets the body. It should read between 150 and 160 degrees F. If you don’t have a thermometer handy, remove the chicken from the oven and gently remove one leg. If the juice is clear, you’re good to go. If it’s still pink, return the chicken to the oven for a few minutes.
12. “One step that most people ignore but will make all the difference is to let your chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before serving. This keeps the chicken moist and tender and will prevent you from burning your hands with an overly hot bird. If you can stand to wait 20 minutes, even better. During this time, if you find yourself alone or with another lucky person, you can magically make the wings disappear and avoid any quarrels at the table!”
13. After the chicken has rested, cut it up, pour the pan juices over the chicken and vegetables, and serve.

Note/Variation