First 500°/1hr chicken: the good & the ugly

Stanley

Did my first 500°/1hr chicken tonight. Rinsed and thoroughly dried the bird, S&Ped the cavity,
rubbed with EVOO, coated with DP Raging River. Let her come to room temp while I started a fire in my MBGE. I'm using WGC Weekend Warrior. I like it, but there is a large percentage of big stuff. Slowed me down in getting to 500°, but I eventually got there. Plate setter legs up w/ drip pan, porcelain grid on legs. Put an ice pack on the bird's breast for a half hour while I was waiting for 500°. On with the bird (plus a baking potato rubbed in EVOO and coarse kosher salt). The fire needed a lot of tending to keep @ 500°. I had the draft wide open and controlled with Miss Daisy (wheel wide open, swivel lid open around 1/4") so I got my share of smoke while tending (I'm jumping in the shower after I finish this post!). Smoke from fat dripping into the drip pan. I realized about a half hour in that I should have put crumpled foil spacers between the PS and drip pan, but it was too late to change at that point. Didn't even peek. Opened @ 1 hr. Here's the ugly part. Pretty black looking skin. Pulled the bird and spud. The skins on both bird and spud were not what I'd call crispy. Edible and not bad though. The chicken meat was so incredibly moist and flavorful! Best ever. I can't say enough about how good the chicken meat turned out. Everything - thigh, leg, breast, wing. The potato was very good too, though I was disappointed in the skin.

Sorry - no pics. Actually it wouldn't have been picturesque. Delicious though.

Need to figure out how to get that crispy skin like DynaGreaseball and others seem to get.

The Naked Whiz

I've taken to letting the chicken sit uncovered for 48 hours in the fridge to dry the skin. It will turn translucent and look kinda funky, but it will tough and leathery and dry. Then oil it and cook, and you'll get some great skin. No need for the 500 degrees.

AZRP

Stinky smoke from fat is not good eats, I've gone to cooking indirect with an insulated drip pan for dark meat, and direct for white. -RP

Semolina Pilchard

I have done a few chickens at 500 and the skin is good and crispy, I don't know why it did not crisp up for you. As for having a little trouble maintaing 500, I take the daisy wheel off and control with the bottom vent. The temp stays steady.

Ross in Ventura

Stanley,
I did not put EVOO on the Chicken.
Ross

DynaGreaseball

I don't use a rub, and I don't use EVOO. I'm not familiar with the rub you used, but if there's any sugar in it, it's gonna turn to carbon at this temperature and mess up the skin. Come to think of it, I've always done a variation of the Whiz's suggestion. That just might do the trick for you.

I control the temperature with the bottom vent, and you're right, it's a little tricky. I use Miss Daisy, but with her lid all the way open.

Also, I always use a small frier (under 4 lbs). I guess one would have to adjust the time a bit if the bird's any bigger.

On the 4 or 5 I've done so far, the skin consistantly turns out crispy, and golden brown.

Like AZRP says, there's an odor from the roasted bones while cooking, but I've never smelled it nor tasted it in the finished product.

By the way, the roasted bones make a very rich tasting chicken stock if you're so inclined.


Hope that helps.

Stanley

Thanks guys - I'll try again and lose the EVOO and rub. Will I be OK with the drip pan on the plate setter if I insulate with crumpled foil, or is there a better way to avoid the burning fat?

Don't feel too sorry for me - like I said, the chicken was great.

DynaGreaseball

I was hoping that I could collect the juices in my drip pan so I could make Mad Max's gravy (usually with turkey drippings), so I did as you suggest. I put balled up foil pieces under my drip pan, but it didn't help. The 500* is so hot, it burns anyway. If you experiment with it and find a way to salvage the drippings, I'd sure like to know how. His gravy is the bomb!

Egg-N-Tino

Stanley,

Have you tried a 'spatchcock' chicken yet.? I've yet to have a 'bad' cook doing it this way. No ice packs no 500 temp to keep and the finished product is awesome. DP Raging River has been our choice of spice lately.

Elevated grid with the dome @ 400
50 - 60 minutes your done
Breast @ 165 and i am usually able to get a crispy skin

Here is the link that got me motivated to try:
http://houseoffaulkner.com/Recipes.html

Stanley

I did a spatchcock a couple of weeks ago. It did turn out great (but I have to admit this 500° bird had even moister meat). The skin on the spatchcock bird didn't get as crisp as I hoped, prompting me to try the 500° method. Mind you, the spatchcock skin was much better than the 500° skin. Didn't have the burning fat smoke problem with the spatchcock method.

mattk330

There was a post the other day about 'high roast chicken' (name?) from Cook's Illustrated. They used a drip pan full of scalloped potatoes to catch the drippings but not let them burn. Potatoes ended up being a good side dish. I wonder if this would work for you in this case? Their goal was to have the potatoes absorb the grease and it worked well.

Marvelous

did you do direct or indirect?

Stanley

Indirect: Plate setter legs up w/ drip pan on it.

UnConundrum

I did one tonight too.... Brined it, dried it real well. Salt and pepper inside and under the skin. Stuffed with Lemon Verbena and 3 garlic cloves.... 500 for an hour. Served it with Caesar salad. Was perfect.

If you used EVOO, you should know that it has a low smoke point. That may well have contributed to your black skin..... Use grapeseed oil next time...