Roasted Chicken

Yesterday was the first day of the year.New Years leave me slightly soppy. Perhaps I dont await any other occassion as much as the new year, there's something about a new beginning.It just gives me another chance to re-evaluate my priorities. And this time round I really took some time off to do that.

I am going to enter my 33rd year, and I claim to be a someone who loves to cook but the perfect chicken roast has eluded me.

I grew up in a home where non vegetarian was a way of life. Sometimes, I wonder how I my mother, a strict vegetarian coped with this. But there she was, her saree tucked neatly into her midriff, cooking the perfect chicken curry. Thee only issue was she was scared of experimenting with the meat.

Hence my faculties on cooking meat are severly limited and most of the cooking I do is tacit knowledge. But I did want to get the perfect brown chicken roast for my new year dinner.

So here I was surfing on the net for an hour on how to cook the perfect chicken roast in a microwave.An hour and two phone calls later I had the bird at my disposal.

I hail from the Eastern end in India and have made Mumbai my home. There are so many things I love about Mumbai but there is something that I really miss about home. One is the lovely winter that made new year look like January.

Of late, Mumbai has become slightly cooler to allure the northies and in betweens like me. If there was a perfect time for a roasted chicken in this city, it is on Jan 1st.

so here's an account of my roasted bird, It doesnt take much, I just cleaned the bird, patted it dry, smeared the innards with salt, pepper and lime juice. I stuffed it with diced potatoes, onions, carrots and a microwaved ( 20 secs) halved leemon. I stuck in two large chunks of butter ( its the new year dinner after all)

I smeared butter, salt, black pepper and rosemary on the outer side as well and lay the bird on a layer of diced veggies like carrot and onions and a pod of garlic ( I went easy on the potatoes, balance is everything).

I tied both the legs ( I dont understand this cruel naunce, but I did as I was told)

The bird looked ready to be roasted. Drizzled a little oil on the dish and it was ready to go.

I pre heated the microwave at about 200 C. and send the bird ( breast side down) in with a silent prayer. After 10 minutes I changed position, the bird was softening well. In another 10 minutes, I could see it ready. and I switched on the grill to get that perfect browning.

My bird was out, it was a beauty and guess what it didnt blacken like last time.

This new year I learnt to roast the perfect chicken. It cooked well, retained the juices and was yum.

The carving was mess, and I need to really learn that from a professional chef, now that could be a new year resolution.