Intense1

I've seen a recipe with a whole chicken, baby carrots, celery, cut up potatoes and onions in the oven, but what other kinds of spices can I add besides something like Lawry's?

Thanks.

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la petite moi

Have you ever seen "Italian seasoning" in the spice aisle? It's fantastic- basically a mix of rosemary and thyme and some other wonder spices.

SexyCat

How about lemon pepper, lemon pepper chicken is great!

eribrav

I usually season the chicken with a dry rub under the skin of kosher salt, paprika, and a bit of chili powder. You can put some of the excess on the potatoes; use kosher salt and olive oil on all the veggies, potatoes included.

Cynthetiq

#1
salt, minced garlic.

#2
salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

#3
all spice

#4
salt, pepper

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yankeefatboy

There's also a Montreal Chicken seasoning in the spice section that is very good.

Willravel

Bacon.

...with white wine, garlic, ground pepper, and sea salt. I belive it's called "Hamilton".

Daniel_

Prick spears of fresh rosmary into the skin and put a lemon inside the body cavity.

That always works well for chicken.

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Maybe it's just because Virginia is the furthest north I've lived for any significant amount of time that I know about these things...

Try poultry seasoning. McCormick has a version of it pre-made, though it's heavier on thyme than sage.

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wraithhibn

Cajun seasoning. I think I put it on everything.

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snowy

Sage, rosemary, and thyme.

I usually chop these up fresh and melt some butter with them, then baste the bird with the herb butter.

Mmmm.

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robot_parade

snowy: Why not go all the way and throw some parsley in there, too? ;-)

Anyway, all of the above are great suggestions - my suggestion - just go nuts. It's hard to go too far wrong if you just pick a bunch of herbs and spices and throw in what seems good. Just try get the salt right, and everything else should take care of itself

Oh, and don't overcook it - get a meat thermometer and learn how to use it!

snowy

Because my mom doesn't like it

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Intense1

Hi ya'll, cooked the chicken on Sunday, and it was nice with a bit of all kinds of stuff thrown on the old bird (not my mom, the chicken).

But I followed the cooking instructions for the time and temp, but after the appropriate time, it still wasn't done. I ended up with almost dry legs but pink meat on the bone.

How do I use a meat thermometer? Where do I stick it? Still pretty novice here, so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Also, the potatoes and carrots were still a bit hard after 1 hour 30 minutes at 350 - is that normal?

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Ratman

That sounds a bit strange to me. Where did you have the chicken in the oven?

I usually rub my herbs under the skin, and then oil the skin (any oil will do). This makes the skin crispy, which holds in the moisture from the cooking bird, kind of steaming as well as roasting. Also, try tossing the veggies in an oil/herb mix. The bigger the cut on your veg, the longer it will take to cook, but 1.5 hours should be enough. You can also put some water or chicken broth in the bottom of the pan to create steam/ moisture. if the legs and wings are finishing too quickly, you can put a bit of foil over them to protect from direct heat.

A meat thermometer is great to tell how fast the bird is cooking. You want the temperature at the thickest part (usually through the thigh) to be about 165-170. Many thermometers have a "dimple" about 3/4" from the tip on the shaft, and that's the part that will measure the temp, so you have to stick it in pretty deep. You can also use a toothpick at a thick part of the bird. Stick the toothpick in deep, and pull it out. If the juices are clear, you're ok. If it is still pink, you need more time.

Practice! Google "roasted chicken recipe" and you will find many links to helpful hints. Good luck!

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