Cooking A Chicken

[nerwby]

To get a really juicy chicken is it best to boil rather than roast?

Newby

[Prudie]

I've never boiled a chicken, I'd expect it to be juicy but tasteless. I'll await answers from the cooks with interest.

[sherrardk]

Apparently (not that I've tried it) a chicken cooks lovely in a slow cooker.

[Graham-W]

Boiling used to be the way to go with old hens who had stopped laying but were old enough to be tough. (Lots of flavour though).
To keep my table birds moist I insert an onion into the cavity, then roast them wrapped in foil (shiny side in) uncovering them for the last 30 mins for the breast to brown. Put a couple of cloves of garlic in with the onion for extra flavour.

[pastafreak]

Definitely a slow cooker. The only foods you should boil are eggs and potatoes. ;-)

[woofgang]

urgh no not boil no never. To get a really juicy tasty chicken, start with a really decent chicken. YOu need a covered roaster or tin foil. Brown the chicken in a hot hot oven then cover it and turn the temperature right down till its cooked then take the cover off a again and wack the temp up for 5 minutes then do the take out and stand covered with a cloth thing.

[PankySmooch]

I always cook my chicken with a halved lemon inside and cover with foil until the last 25 mins

[EDDIE51]

Many people roast a chicken for too long and or too hot. They are so scared of food poisoning. But this makes it dry, do not roast too long or too hot.

[mastercraft]

I turn mine upside down, wrap in foil and roast for 1 hour.
Then remove foil, put it on a rack correct way up, and roast on high 'till the skin is crispy. Capon chickens are best!

[Prudie]

I've asked OH (the cook) and he said they were doing this on Saturday Kitchen yesterday although they finished it off in the oven. Is this what inspired your question nerwby?

[-Talbot-]

Always do mine in the halogen oven now.

[Retrochic]

Chicken simmered in a homemade chicken stock tases really nice but you don't get that lovely crisp skin. Best to massage olive oil into skin sprinkle with seasalt and cook in oven 180C for 40 minutes per kilo.

[Jackdaw33]

I don't do kilos. Could you translate into English (old money)?

[boxtops]

Don't boil it, that's wreck it. Do as woofgang suggests, that's what we do.

[sherrardk]

A kilo is 2.2lbs (well, I pretty sure it is).

[sandyRoe]

40 MTS per 2.2lbs at 180c

[jamesnan]

Personally I do not like chicken cooked in a slow cooker, much prefer it roasted for the correct time in the oven, and I always use roasting bags.

[LyndaB]

I mix a few dried mixed herbs with a little olive oil, then loosen the skin over the breast. I pour the olive oil between the fresh and the skin, stick a halved onion inside the bird and roast upside down for most of the cooking time. I don't cook it for any longer than 15-20 mins over lb plus 15 mins. Then its most important to let the meat stand for at least 30 mins, covered loosely in foil. It won't go cold, and it will be much more moist and easier to carve.

[ummmm]

I'm not a chicken fan but quite like it boiled.

[Retrochic]

You boil a lot of things don't you Ummmmm -is it an Irish thing?

[ummmm]

No. What gives you that impression?