[Sca-cooks] roasting chickens

[jenne at fiedlerfamily.net]

Bless you, Thomsa.

> It depends on what you are doing with the meat. In my experience, 4 lb.
> (large) fryers, sometimes labeled "young chicken", give the best results in
> terms of flavor, moistness and crispy skin, for servings of roasted or
> spit-roasted chicken. As one of several courses, a 4 lb bird will yield 8
> servings, 10 if you halve the breasts and have other meat courses. I use 4
> lb birds, almost exclusively, because I can't argue with the results.

*nod* Ok,that sounds like the best option, especially if we get nuts in
the kitchen and don't have time to carve the chickens.

> If you are going to debone the meat and use it in something else, then 8 lb.
> roasters may be more economical (higher flesh-to-bone ratio), but the flavor
> and texture can suffer with the older birds, depending on the producer.
> Roasters, these days, are often injected with saline solution, so you may be
> paying for some extra water weight, too. Check the label carefully. Roasters
> need to cook lower and slower for them to stay tender and moist. You may
> want to consider getting breasts and thighs, so you don't have to fool with
> wings, backs and legs, but that will depend on your budget.

The recipes call for stuffing and pot/oven roasting the chickens, so whole
chickens are a must. There are fryers for .59 a pound at the local Aldi's
but the wrappers say they are treated with up to 12% chicken broth so I'm
going to try for something better.

Because it's a closed roasting, I'm figuring that setting them on the
bottom of the roaster should be ok?

This is all wonderful, helpful advice and I really appreciate it.

-- Pani Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
She gave him a look that indicated that her capacity for Not Putting People
Through Walls No Matter How Much They Deserve It had been exhausted.