look at those leggs. mmm... roasting a bird.

so last weekend when that hurricane was blowing through and everyone was all locked inside, we decided it was perfect weather for roasting a bird (this is after an hour and a half of floating around wholefoods) , so steve picks up a chicken and we go back to my place. this is really much easier than it looks, its enough to stuff 4-6 people and leftovers are delicious. get the bird take out the gizzards and neck- if they gross you out throw them away, if not mix them with the potatoes. cut off any excess fat that'll usually be around the ass (the big hole). brine your bird- give it a good rinse and if you can let it soak in water with some salt for a couple minutes- always brine becasue it'll better clean the chicken and also take out some of the "wild" taste if its free range. while thats sitting, cut up some potatos, carrots, celery, onions any root veggies or tougher greens. season them with salt, pepper, oil, and whatever blows your skirt up (i put black olives this last time.. SOOO GOOD). then toss them all in a pan under a roasting rack with a cup or 2 of water, orange juice or white wine. take the chicken out of the water, rub salt oil and whatever spices you want on the outside, give a little sprinkle on the inside and set it breastside up on the rack. i usually quarter a lemon, orange, or lime and use that to stuff the chicken with garlic so the meat is infused with the fresh essence of citrus. THEN here's the trick my mom taught me. around the asshole there's a flap of skin that kind hangs there. if you cut a slit on each side you can slip the end of the leg into each to close the hole so the bird doest dry out (check the photo above- you can see here that one leg is still in the "slit" but the other leg popped out). then throw it in the oven - i usually put it in for 3 hours on 375-400. and ill turn it over at least once to make sure its crispy all around. take it out, let it cool a bit and for me my favorite way to serve it is to pull off all the meat and toss it loosely all mixed together in a bowl with a fistfull of chopped parsley. and to accompany you have a side dish of roasted veggies. white rice would go well too and maybe a salad or fresh fruit to clean your palate when your done.
GREAT for a rainy day. Perfect when you want to sit home vege out and watch movies OR to prep the day before and serve cold pulled chicken which tastes delicious.