roast chicken

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
This is going to seem like a strange request.

Yes, I know how to roast chicken. husband and Kid2 love it.
Kid1... has become "sick" of chicken - as in, he will eat almost anything BUT chicken.

He says if I can cook it differently, he might eat it. He doesn't like the 'taste' of chicken.

I have two roasting chickens that have to go in the oven in about 3 hours.
One will be done my usual way.

We could really use some creative, "alternative" ways of preparing the other one... preferably something that doesn't require expensive exotic ingredients, or take a lot of prep time.

So... all you great creative cooks out there... any ideas?
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
:rofl:

THAT wouldn't be a problem. He could probably do it. There's several meals he already cooks (all based around beef, of course)

BUT.
It's about our only chance all week to have supper together, before two of us go tearing off again. There isn't time between when he gets home from work, and when we need to eat. (as in, we need to eat about 5 minutes after he gets home)

He suggested doing it on the BBQ. Except - the old one died, and the new one isn't set up yet nor connected... and I never was good at using a BBQ.
 

Jabberwockey

Well-Known Member
I would have to look up the recipe but a friend did a whole chicken in the oven where she stuffed the carcass full of carrots and rubbed the bird down with pomegranate syrup then baked it. It was delicious. Otherwise cook it and when it cools pick the meat off the bone and tell them to figure it out.
 

svengandhi

Well-Known Member
I am known as the girl who would eat chicken every day...

If you already have roasting chickens, why don't you make one with onion and garlic powder and then when it's cooked, use it as a base for chili or chicken and rice, tacos, enchiladas or chicken cacciatore or chicken salad (I hate cold chicken so this is something I have never made but I know other people like it). I personally love roast chicken dipped in chinese duck sauce (my kids joke that I eat chicken just to have a way to eat duck sauce). If he likes spicy type foods, buy some Indian food mixes that require chicken and make one of those. I have also made sloppy joe mix with chicken instead of beef...

Put him to work on recipes.com and let him find something he likes.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Put him to work on recipes.com and let him find something he likes.
He has started looking, but hadn't come up with some recipes to try yet. Yes, in the long run, it will be stuff that he will learn to make, so he can have it when he leaves home.

Tonight - I cut the chicken into pieces, skinned the breasts and thighs, and make Chicken Teriyaki.
 

DoneDad

Well-Known Member
Cook two chickens - one to eat and then cool one down, take the skin off and take all the meat off the bones (make chicken stock with the bones) then use the meat to make tacos, enchiladas, chili - anything u want. Part of taking our lives back from Difficult Child's drama was three years ago we went and spent a month in Mexico. One of the things we did there was take a week long cooking class, so we like to make Mexican food, but u can use the chicken to make all kinds of stuff. Use the stock and make some soup!
 

DoneDad

Well-Known Member
One thing we like in the summer is a green salad with avocado and some shredded or cubed chicken. Easy, no cooking, and good for you!
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Oh, I have loads of ways to use cooked chicken.
The challenge is, we have a meal of chicken when I cook it in the first place. THAT is what my challenging kid can't stand to eat.

No, I'm not "catering to him". I know what it is like to have food sensitivities. But I'm also not prepared to cook him a separate meal. I cook once - something that we all can have. So... While we had one success last night, I'm still looking for alternative ways of cooking raw chicken in the oven - either whole or in pieces. Ways where the chicken doesn't necessarily have that strong "chicken" taste.
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
It's a week past but you still cook so....

In the summer, one of my favs is cut put the chicken (although I don't keep the skin on), put it in a bowl with a little salt, pepper, paprika, thyme and olive oil - stuff I'm sure you have in the cabinet. Actually works best with dried Thyme. Put the chicken in a large baking dish. Take the same bowl and chop 4 fresh tomatoes, 2 bell peppers (I use an orange and yellow one because the colors look great with the tomato!), 4 cloves of garlic, a little lemon juice and some peppers (poblanos if you don't like spice, jalapeños (fresh) if you like a nice spice, 2 small chilis if you love heat). Cook for 30-40 minutes on 450 uncovered. The chicken and the tomatoes create a lovely liquid and the chicken comes out aromatic and juicy every time! Takes 10 minutes to prep. Less than an hour from cutting board to table and looks lovely!

Add a nice tossed salad and it's a complete meal with wonderful summer veggies!

Another idea. If you have one of those real or fake large enamel dutch ovens - cut up your chicken, sprinkle very generously with paprika (I use a mix of sweet and spicy papkika), brown the exterior in coconut oil that you have heating in the dutch oven, add a lot of chopped onions, cover dutch oven and place in a 350 oven till done - delish!

One more of our favs, large chop about 6-8 shallots (1/4), cut in small clusters about 1 pound of black black seedless table grapes (I know this sounds strange but, trust me, it's really good-small bunches like 4 or 5 in a bunch), 12 baby fingerlings whole or baby yukons halved (I have done this without the potatoes). Put veggies and grapes in large baking dish, sprinkle with a little olive oil, S&P, and a little thyme and rosemary. Cut up your chicken and rub with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, S&P. Add the chick on top of the veggies. Drizzle a little bit of balsamic on the top and bake uncovered at 350 for 50 minutes. I actually do this a lot in the fall and I get those large packs of chicken thighs at BJ's or when they are on sale. The thighs work great in this dish because they are so moist.

Hope this gives you some ideas. All of them are really fast to prepare, less than 15 minutes so they are prep and cook in an hour.

Sharon
 

Lil

Well-Known Member
The best way I can think of to make the chicken not have a "strong chicken taste" (which to me is weird to try to come up with, because in my opinion chicken has a very mild taste to begin with) would be to cover it with stuff that tastes stronger?

Barbeque, glazes like you'd use on ham, coat the bird with brown sugar and minced garlic, etc. For a whole bird, stuff it with lemons and garlic and rub the skin with lemon juice and butter. Use lots of different herbs and spices.

You might go to allrecipes.com and just search for "roast chicken". There are lots of recipes. Maybe one will tickle his fancy.
 

nlj

Well-Known Member
I cook chicken inside a roasting bag with butter and garlic. Yummy.

(Except when my eco-warrior son is here, then it's organic lentils for breakfast, lunch and tea).
 

Copabanana

Well-Known Member
I keep coming back to this thread. It is such a nice way to get to know each of you.

Roast Chicken is such a personal dish. I do mine like Lil. I stuff the cavity with a raw onion, a handful of garlic cloves and an assortment of fresh herbs like Thyme, Basil, a little Marjoram and Parsley. Maybe a little Rosemary. I rub the skin with olive oil mixed with more herbs. I start the chicken upside down so that it bastes itself. The best thing you can do for roast chicken is cook at lower heat for longer time. It will stay moist and flavorful this way. After about a half an hour or so I turn the chicken right side up.

If you cook it slowly, even if you want turn the heat up at the end to brown it, it will stay moist, not dry.

I am fascinated by littledudesmom method with high heat throughout. I wonder if the breast meat stays moist?

I will sometimes turn up the heat for 15 minutes, and that works good. But I would be afraid to do so longer for fear of drying out the breast meat and making it tough.

I am amazed that so many of us like garlic. We go through heads of garlic a week. Sometimes we put a head in just one dish. My Mother did not use onions or garlic at all during our youth. My Dad would not eat it.

And then I thought it was a way for my mother to establish she was truly American. In our culture we eat huge amounts of onion and garlic. I guess my Mother felt stigmatized by anything that labeled her as different. Until she was old enough not to care.

Strangely enough, the best whole chicken in my area can be found at Walmart. Who knew?
 
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GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
I eat large amounts of garlic. I often surprise people by the amount of garlic I use.

Not because my food is overwhelmingly garlicky, but because it isn't. People don't seem to know that slowly cooked, garlic becomes sweet and subtle.

In my case, it's a cultural thing combined with loving the stuff. Unfortunately, due to reflux, I can't eat large amounts of raw garlic anymore. Still eat large amounts of cooked garlic, though.

I start a chicken or other oven buzzard at a high temperature breast down for a bit (time depends on type and size of buzzard) and then lower temp and turn breast up. What, if anything put in cavity, and how it is basted again depends on type, fat content, etc.
 
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