Spit roasting, a traditional cooking method that involves skewering meat and rotating it over a fire, produces succulent and flavorful dishes. Whether you prefer a classic rotisserie chicken or a uniquely seasoned variation, spit roasting offers a captivating culinary experience. With the right equipment and simple techniques, you can create a mouthwatering spit-roasted chicken that will impress your family and friends. So, prepare your taste buds and embark on a flavorful journey as we guide you through the art of spit roasting chicken, ensuring a perfectly cooked and incredibly delicious meal.
Here are our top 3 tried and tested recipes!
SPIT ROASTED LEMON ROSEMARY CHICKEN
Pairs well with Gallo Family Vineyards Chardonnay.
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 1h35m
Yield 6 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- For brine, combine the first seven ingredients in a large kettle. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until salt is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, grate peel from lemons. Juice lemons and reserve juiced lemon halves; set aside., Remove giblets from chicken; discard. Place cold water in a 2-gal. resealable plastic bag; add chicken. Place in a roasting pan. Carefully pour cooled brine into bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours, turning several times., Discard brine. Rinse chicken with water; pat dry. Rub inside of chicken with 1 teaspoon rosemary and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place the juiced lemon halves in cavity. Skewer chicken openings, tie together., Place chicken on rotisserie rod on grill with a drip pan according to manufacturer's directions. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, remaining rosemary, salt and pepper; brush over chicken. Grill 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until chicken juices run clear.,
Nutrition Facts :
SPIT-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH HERBS UNDER THE SKIN, GARDEN VEGETABLES, TOASTED COUNTRY BREAD, AND ROASTI
Provided by Alain Ducasse
Categories Cheese Chicken Herb Mushroom Onion Tomato Bake Roast Dinner Fall Wheat/Gluten-Free Peanut Free Soy Free No Sugar Added
Yield Makes 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 37
Steps:
- Start chicken:
- Cream 7 oz of butter. Chop the herbs (3/4 of the parsley, 3/4 of the chervil, the sprig of tarragon) and mix with the creamed butter. Keep just the tips of the remaining parsley and chervil.
- Clean the white mushrooms and dice (quite small), bake them slowly in butter, and add to the herbed butter along with the finely sliced shallots. Season with pepper and salt.
- Lift the skin slightly from the chicken, without tearing it, and spread the herbed butter underneath. Be careful afterwards to ensure that the skin covers the meat so that it does not dry out during cooking.
- If you do not have a spit you can cook the chicken in the oven at 350#&176;F for about 1 1/4 hours. When the chicken is 3/4 cooked, deglaze with chicken juices.
- When cooked, sieve the cooking juices and add the chervil and parsley. This will be used later on.
- Make onions:
- Peel and wash about 8 white onions; remove the top of the onions (about 1/4 of onion if it is small or 1/3 if it is large, these lids will be used later on), and empty the middle of the onions with a spoon (keep two or three layers of onion).
- Dice the other onions finely with the spooned out interiors. Sweat the onions in olive oil until they are lightly golden, adding salt and pepper. Cut the celery stick into very small pieces, and crush the grilled pine nuts with a knife (you can grill them in the grill or oven).
- Away from the heat mix the sweated onions, diced celery, pine nuts, ricotta, the salted pork fat, sage, parmesan, chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Stuff the onions (replace the tops on the onions before cooking) and put them on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and cook in the over preheated to 356°F for near 1/2 hour. Be careful not to burn them, if you think there is a risk of burning cover them with kitchen foil. Baste the onions regularly in their juices as this will make them really tasty and fondant (slightly melted). When the onions are cooked, coat them with chicken juices, add freshly ground pepper and serve.
- Make tomatoes:
- Cut the top off 8 tomatoes (about 1/3 of the tomato) and keep the stalk part to use as a cover on the stuffed tomatoes. Salt and pepper the interior of the tomatoes and leave upside down on a baking sheet to drain out excess water. This will give you a more solid tomato and it will avoid excess liquids in the stuffing.
- Remove the skin from the remaining tomatoes (leave them a few seconds in boiling water); cut into quarters and remove the insides.
- Chop the tomato confit into roughly diced sized pieces.
- In a cast iron pot, heat the olive oil with the unpeeled garlic cloves, add the peeled and emptied tomatoes, rosemary sprig, salt, and pepper and leave to cook in a hot oven (390°F) until you obtain a fondant marmalade appearance.
- Once the marmalade is cooked and cooled, remove the garlic cloves, thyme, and rosemary, then add the finely chopped white onions and sweat with olive oil.
- Mix together the chopped tomatoes confit, parsley, grated parmesan, and chopped basil. Drizzle with a little olive oil, and check the seasoning, you may have to add a little salt and pepper.
- Stuff the tomatoes with both mixtures and cover with the tomato stalk tops, then place them in a gratin dish and sprinkle with olive oil. Place in an oven, preheated to 350°F, for half an hour. Sprinkle regularly with olive oil and the roasted chicken juices.
- Serve the tomatoes and onions on the plate, carve the chicken and coat with the jus. Add a little freshly ground pepper and drizzle with chives cut lengthwise.
- You can add other vegetables, such as artichokes cooked whole (cooked barigoule style) then stuffed with olive tapenade, braised with the tomatoes in the oven with the chicken juices.
- A few croutons rubbed with garlic and pan-fried are perfect to finish the dish.
SPIT ROASTED CHICKEN
Provided by Food Network
Categories main-dish
Time 4h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- About 2 hours before cooking the chicken, build a fire using lots of kindling and newspaper to get a hot bed of coals going. Oak is a very hard, dense wood and generally needs a good bed of coals to get going.
- Meanwhile, mix together 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, the olive oil and lemon juice. Rub the marinade into the chicken well and allow to sit in a cool spot, out of the sun, for at least 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Skewer the chicken onto your spit or rebar about 2 feet above your coals. Rake or shovel the coals to surround the chicken, they should not be directly under the chicken because as the fat renders out it will drip onto the fire and flare up. Start the bird slowly; it will need to cook for about 2 hours. As the cooking process starts, melt the butter with the remaining soy sauce and the lemon rinds in a small pot to use for basting.
- Every 15 minutes rake more coals under the bird, rotate it on the spit 90 degrees and baste it using the rosemary as a brush. The rosemary branches can also be set on top of the chicken in between basting. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
- After 1 hour 30 minutes, either build the fire up more to begin to crisp up the skin or move the chicken closer to the coals. As the fire gets hotter you will need to keep a closer eye on the chicken as not to burn it and turn more frequently.
- When the thighs are pulling away from the body of the bird and the breast is firm to the touch with crispy skin, rake the coals away, raise the bird and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Serve with salsa verde and roasted potatoes.
Tips:
- Choose the right chicken: Opt for a free-range or organic chicken for the best flavor and texture.
- Prep your chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season it with salt, pepper, and any other desired herbs or spices.
- Use a quality spit roaster: Invest in a sturdy and reliable spit roaster to ensure even cooking.
- Position the chicken correctly: Make sure the chicken is centered on the spit and secure it tightly to prevent it from slipping.
- Cook the chicken slowly: Low and slow cooking is key to achieving tender and juicy chicken. Aim for a cooking time of 1 hour per pound of chicken.
- Baste the chicken regularly: Basting the chicken with a mixture of butter, herbs, and spices helps keep it moist and flavorful.
- Let the chicken rest before carving: Once the chicken is cooked, let it rest for 10-15 minutes before carving. This allows the juices to redistribute and results in more tender meat.
Conclusion:
Spit-roasted chicken is a delicious and impressive dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With careful preparation and attention to detail, you can create a succulent and flavorful chicken that will be the star of any meal. Experiment with different marinades, rubs, and basting liquids to create your own signature spit-roasted chicken recipe. Whether you're hosting a special occasion dinner or simply looking for a delicious and easy weeknight meal, spit-roasted chicken is sure to please everyone at the table.
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