My daughter came down with cookbooks with recipes for me to try. Finally I tried one recipe from Gwyneth Paltrow -my father’s daughter cookbook. I love this cookbook and am going to get my own copy but more about that at another time!
I have smoked briskets outdoors for countless hours getting up at an unheard of hour to start the process. When I cook a turkey in my Showtime Rotisserie it does not take more than two to three hours before it is ready. I was intrigued about how a chicken would taste if I cooked it long and slow for ten hours. I decided this recipe I had to try. If I was going to cook a chicken for 10 hours I was going to make two. I did just that.
The aromas that filled the kitchen and the rest of the house were incredible. The smells gently filled the house. Could the chicken taste as good as the aromas that so gently filled the house? If it did then this would be the best chicken ever.
How did the chicken come out? The ingredients were simple and preparation a breeze! The chicken was very moist, tender and had a nice flavor. I do want to retry the recipe. I want to see if the second time making this recipe will give me the flavors I thought the chicken would have. The chicken was not as outstanding as other chicken recipes I had made and to be fair I should make it again. But it is worth your making this recipe and adding it to your repertoire of recipes.
The chicken had been cooking for 9 ½ hours when I had to flip the chicken over towards the end of the cooking process to crisp up the skin. The chicken was so tender it fell apart in the process. The chicken was flavorful and the juices that were left in the pan were perfect over the mashed potatoes I had made but as good as the chicken was it did not match what I had anticipated from the aromas that filled the house all day. The recipe says this is a good recipe to start in the morning and when you come back from work your dinner will be ready. I have never left an oven on when I am not home but that is just me.
So try this ten-hour chicken and let me know what you think!
1 organic whole chicken, 3-4 pounds, washed and dried
1 lemon, halved
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
½ bunch fresh thyme
Half a head of garlic peeled
Preheat the oven to 200°. Place the chicken in a rectangular roasting dish breast side down. Squeeze the lemon halves over the chicken in the pan. Generously sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper all over, front and back, inside and out. Tuck the thyme and the lemon halves and 3-4 cloves of garlic in the cavity. Place the remaining garlic cloves around the pan. Wrap the roasting dish tightly with aluminum foil and put in the oven for 9 ½ hours.
Take the chicken out of the oven and boost the heat to 400° on convection if possible. Unwrap the dish, flip the chicken over so it is lying on back, breast side up and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until it is nicely browned. Let the chicken cool slightly, then carve and serve with all of its lovely juices.
Serves 4
Active preparation time 10 minutes
Total preparation time about 10 hours
