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roasting a whole chicken

uncledave
uncledave Posts: 90
edited November 2011 in Poultry
I am going to roast a whole chicken tonight. I want the skin to be crispy. The guy on the bge website cooks a beautiful bird but doesn't say at what temp and how long. I am looking for ideas.
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Comments

  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Make sure the bird is dry. Salt it with fine ground salt and let it sit for an hour. Wipe the salt off. Apply your rub or seaonings, no salt. Dust it lightly, very lightly, with cornstarch. I use a sifter and a fine mesh sieve. Brush the starch with a pastry brush to eliminate clumps. When the chicken starts to cook, if you see any white spots of starch spray with some oil in those areas. 

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Squeezy
    Squeezy Posts: 1,102
    I'd like to know what purpose the cornstarch serves?
    Never eat anything passed through a window unless you're a seagull ... BGE Lg.
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  • Squeezy
    Squeezy Posts: 1,102

    Perhaps I'll try that and see for myself.

    Thanks for sharing ...

    Never eat anything passed through a window unless you're a seagull ... BGE Lg.
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  • burr_baby33
    burr_baby33 Posts: 503
    I'll try it with a turkey breast on thanksgiving. Last one I cooked the skin was crispy but then I foiled it for approx 1/2 hour and skin lost crispyness.
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  • Squeezy
    Squeezy Posts: 1,102
    Wrapping anything will kill crispness ... just like our local fish & chip outlet ... wrapped in newspaper ... leaves a soggy greasy mess ....
    Never eat anything passed through a window unless you're a seagull ... BGE Lg.
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Make sure the bird is dry. Salt it with fine ground salt and let it sit for an hour. Wipe the salt off. Apply your rub or seaonings, no salt. Dust it lightly, very lightly, with cornstarch. I use a sifter and a fine mesh sieve. Brush the starch with a pastry brush to eliminate clumps. When the chicken starts to cook, if you see any white spots of starch spray with some oil in those areas. 
    You and your split infinitives drive me up the wall.

    Good advice though, I do poultry in a similar fashion, but skip the salt step unless I dry brine the bird for 2-3 days.
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  • smak
    smak Posts: 199
    I am a fan of drying the bird off, seasoning it, and then throwing it on a 500* indirect setup for an hour(ish).  Not fancy but gets the job done with good crisp on the skin.  I cooked up a bird this past weekend using that method.

    I ran across the method here on the forum a while back.

    -smak
    smak
    Leesburg, VA
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  • Dreamerx4
    Dreamerx4 Posts: 11

    I brine the bird in water overnight, 1/3 cup salt, 1/3 cup sugar, some assorted seasonings.

    Dry the bird thoroughly, coat in Extra virgin olive oil, coat with BGE Maple rub.

    Cook indirect at 400, until it reaches 165 in breast, approx an hour and 15 min.

    I do add applewood to smoke lightly throughout the cook. I have it standing up, with a drip tray underneath.

    Good luck!

    Doug

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  • dunnharr
    dunnharr Posts: 45
    I cook mine indirect at about 350 on the vertical rack.  Usually takes 12-15 minutes per pound.  Needs to get to 160 in the breast and 180 in the thigh.  Instant read thermometers are great.
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    Make sure the bird is dry. Salt it with fine ground salt and let it sit for an hour. Wipe the salt off. Apply your rub or seaonings, no salt. Dust it lightly, very lightly, with cornstarch. I use a sifter and a fine mesh sieve. Brush the starch with a pastry brush to eliminate clumps. When the chicken starts to cook, if you see any white spots of starch spray with some oil in those areas. 
    You and your split infinitives drive me up the wall.

    Good advice though, I do poultry in a similar fashion, but skip the salt step unless I dry brine the bird for 2-3 days.
    Which one?

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • uncledave
    uncledave Posts: 90
    Thanks for all of the input. I cooked my bird at 360 grate temp indirect legs up. I place the bird breast up on the grid. 1-1/2 hr. later it was a thing of perfection. I dried the bird and used emerils essence.
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  • evenwhenitsraining
    evenwhenitsraining Posts: 75
    I dry my chicken, brush with olive oil, season liberally with S&P, and then I roast the bird with the indirect plate setter at 425-450 for about 75 minutes for a 3-4 lb. bird.  Basically, I let the thing go until the skin is golden and I can begin to pull the leg/thigh away from the body and it comes apart easily.  Many will tell you that this overcooks the breast, but I don't ever find that problem with high heat in the BGE.  Glad your chicky turned out well.  
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  • trasky
    trasky Posts: 5
    Beer Can Chicken - 375 degrees for 1.5 to 2 hours
    Middleboro, MA - BGE Large w/ wood table - Plate Setter - Pizza Stone
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