RECIPE: Vertical Roasted Chicken

I've been meaning to post a few recipes, so here's my first one. We were vegetarians for years so I am re-discovering how to cook with meat and being much pickier than I used to be. Also I have a little more time after work on some days so I can take a while if results warrant it.

Roasted chicken is hardly unique but this recipe combines the features that I currently like best. I prefer minimal handling and cutting (so I avoid the flattened chicken that I used to make) and I like the skin to be crisp but not burnt, hence the use of a vertical roaster to raise the chicken and expose most of the skin and also a high temperature but not too high. Also I don't like to fuss so I keep the temperature the same throughout the process. Perhaps I should add that we prefer chicken to be completely done, not a bit rare in spots. Also I want to avoid non-stick pans and implements. But I still want it all to be easy to clean.

I use the NorPro Stainless Steel Roaster which has a small pan at the bottom to catch most if not all of the juices. This is a cheap device I bought at Amazon. I place the device inside a shallow stainless steel baking pan. These are both very easy to clean and has the benefit of capturing the juices well. I use a stainless steel baster to remove the juices from the little pan at the end of cooking. They can be used as the base of a sauce for this or future dinners. I have two roasters and can easily fit two chickens in my oven at once, but usually I cook one at a time.

This recipe is basically a variant of one I found on the Splendid Table website, with quite a few adjustments to meet my evolving specs. I'm sorry for all the steps, I'm just trying to be fairly complete. It's very easy. Also note, I think you could use any non-vertical roasting rack and get fairly similar results - the point is to raise the bird up off it's juices. I like the vertical roaster because it collects the juices nicely and seems to cook a bit quicker and produces maximal crispy skin.

Vertical Roasted Chicken

• Garlic cloves, onion slices, lemon/orange/fruit slices and/or fresh herbs (completely optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper or hot sauce (also optional but I think you really need salt - I use Diamond brand kosher salt)
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or other delicious fat (I like to use duck fat when I have it, or bacon fat)
• 3-5 pound chicken (a humanely raised chicken please!)
  

1. Remove the oven's middle rack(s). Put the bottom rack at the lowest level so there is room for the upright chicken and vertical rack.
2. Preheat to 400 (if you have a convection oven use 400, otherwise try 425 or 450).
3. Clean, rinse and dry the chicken, removing innards and extra fat as needed. I like to freeze these for future use. I separate out the livers and add to a jar of chicken livers that I am saving until I get enough to male something special. It is almost impossible to find organic chicken livers locally.
4. Bend the wings to tuck the wing tips under the wings, forming a triangle with the wings.
5. Rub the oil or fat all over the chicken and then sprinkle or rub with salt and optional pepper or hot sauce.
6. (OPTIONAL) You can push thin lemon slices and/or chopped herbs under the skin in strategic places but I usually skip this step.
7. Set the Vertical Roaster in a shallow baking pan. Push the chicken down onto the wire tower so the top of the vertical roaster comes up to or through the neck cavity. Rest the bird's legs on the raised edge at the bottom of the vertical roaster to avoid having them soak in the juices. You can add a few tablespoons of liquid to the little pan at the bottom of the roaster. I used to do this but once I forgot and it was fine and did not smoke too much.
   
8. (OPTIONAL) Push herbs or other flavoring into the cavity along with the ribs of the vertical roaster. This will only have a minor affect on the final product but it is a nice touch and enhances the juices.
9. Place the baking pan with the chicken on it's roaster into the preheated oven on the center of the bottom rack. Remember that you have to remove the other racks, preferably before they get hot.Bake/roast at 400 degrees, using the convection setting for approximately 10 minutes per pound plus 20 minutes if the chicken is cold from the refrigerator (or plus 10 minutes if the chicken has been out for a half hour - not necessarily recommended practice from a food safety point of view).
10. When the allotted time is up (or maybe 10 minutes in advance) check to see if it is done. Either use an instant read thermometer or prick the leg at the thigh joint to see if the juices run clear, or just use your judgment based on how it feels and moves when you touch it.
11. When done, remove it from the oven and turn off the oven.
12. Let bird rest 10 minutes at room temperature, still on the rack, then serve. You can simply leave it on the roaster and cut away the legs, thighs and wings and then (optionally) the wish bone. Be careful when you cut the skin at first, especially at the thigh, because hot juices may rapidly flow out. Then cut away the breast meat or slice it off. Don't forget to use or save the delicious juices, possibly removing them from the brimming pan with a baster. Save the bones and scraps for soup - I collect them in my freezer until I'm ready to make broth.
13. If some guests don't eat chicken skin, you might want to remove it before serving, and share it amongst those who appreciate it. You can even crisp it under the broiler if needed.
14. Timing notes - Not counting the ten minute rest at the end, a 4 pound chicken takes about an hour (4 times 10 plus 20 minutes) and a five pound chicken takes about an hour and ten minutes. So it's not super fast, but worth the wait. And once it's in the oven you don't have any fussing over it until the end.
    

I'm Back!

I have not been away except mentally. And I literally was staying out of the back garden for a while now.

I was focused on planning a family reunion among other things (it went well!)

The plants in the raised beds had all died in July. We had huge storms and lots of rain and it has been all we could do to just keep the weeds in the gravel areas somewhat in control and pick melons before they become too ripe. It was too hot and miserable. And I was annoyed with my helper (otherwise known as my dear, sweet husband) for destroying my Mexican Oregano instead of weeds. This is the same guy that destroyed a beautiful hibiscus a while back. At least the herb plant sort of looked like a weed.

That's a picture of plants that I bought about 6 weeks ago. And never planted. Sigh.

Whine, whine, whine! I'm over it already.

The days are shorter now and it's cooler in the mornings at least. Of course I've started back to work so I don't have many mornings. But I've been kicking myself to get going on the garden again. The first thing I did was get a professional landscape company to estimate the cost of bi-weekly maintenance. This is just on-going clean-up - pulling weeds and raking and a little pruning. I have hired a company to start next week.

They will plant and fix my irrigation (for a fee) too. This is great, because planting in the ground is really difficult here, the ground is so rocky. I do want to add some more desert plants and trees and digging holes is really difficult here. That's what I love about my raised beds.

So today I finally went back out and surveyed the garden and rounded up the ripe melons. I had not picked melons for 2 weeks and in the mean time 3 melons become overripe and started to rot on the vine. I picked several ripe melons and consigned the overripe ones to the compost heap. I ended up eating quite a bit of watermelon for breakfast. At least it was cool inside - eating warm watermelon seems too weird to me. I sprinkle melons with a little kosher salt. My husband prefers sugar, which seems practically sacrilegious to me. I just touched the knife to the watermelon and it cracked open, perfectly ripe and wonderful.

The melons seem to have been hybridizing at random. We have many exotic appearing melons which I definitely did not plant. Little smooth-skinned cantaloupes. Huge dark green warty things that taste like watered down cantaloupes. Misshapen triangular honeydews.

Apparently I need to plant the different types further apart to lessen commingling. A few of the melon plants seem to have stopped growing. Perhaps these are ones with over-ripened fruits. But others are continuing to produce flowers and set melons at an almost alarming rate. I suppose the shorter days will soon signal a decline in production. But it is still hot and sunny during the day.

Here is one of the small smooth melons together with a more normal cantaloupe. Next year I think I'll try to just plant small melons. The huge ones are overwhelming and hard to give away.



We also have a nice crop of Japanese eggplant. The eggplants and the okra were the only surviving plant from my spring planting, aside from herbs in containers which did very well indeed. I'm going to harvest the remaining basil as I will have a steady supply coming in from my CSA share which started this week.

I think another one of the peach trees has given up. The nectarine trees, the plum and the Aprium are looking very healthy. The fig limps along. One of the storms knocked over several of the small trees so we have them staked. They did not fall down but they leaned severely.

The next thing I have to do is change the irrigation, now that the hottest part of the summer is over. I have a spreadsheet where I record the settings and what worked and what did not work. I ended up setting the mini-sprinklers on the containers to briefly spray three times a day and this made all the difference. Incredible amounts of basil and other herbs survived all summer.

What to do in a Desert Garden in September?

Here are some tips on what to do in the desert garden this month from the
University of Arizona College of Agriculture Maricopa County Extension
There's also a lot of other helpful information and FAQ's on that website.
Another site of interest on what to do in the garden here in the low
desert is John Chapman's site.

Climate Information for September
in Phoenix, Arizona
Rainfall:

Average: 0.86 inches
Record: 5.5inches (1939)

Temperature (degrees F):

Average High: 98.3 degrees
Lowest High: 66 degrees (1895)
Record High: 116 degrees (1950)

Average Low: 72.8 degrees
Highest Low: 90 degrees (1982, 1983)
Record Low: 47 degrees (1895, 1965)

Note: Rainfall and temperatures vary widely within the valley depending upon elevation and microclimate.

To Do List . . .
Turf

Fertilize Bermuda-grass lawns with Nitrogen each month beginning late April or early May according to the directions on the package.

Apply Iron each month according to the directions on the package.

Apply one inch of water per week to Bermuda lawns

To remove a Bermuda lawn

• Water and fertilize the grass to ensure that it is actively growing
• Apply a herbicide with glyphosate according to the directions on the package
• The grass will take in the herbicide throughout the entire root system, thus killing the plant rather than just knocking it back
• After a few days water again
• Reapply the herbicide to any of the turf that regrows
• Continue this cycle (may take three or more times) of fostering growth and applying herbicide until the grass is completely killed

Vegetables

Solarize garden soil: Prepare bed for fall planting, irrigate and then cover with clear plastic for six weeks. This will kill or drive out many of the soil pathogens.

Prepare bed for fall planting

Plant Seeds

Snap Beans, Beets, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collard Greens, Cucumbers, Endive, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce (Head & Leaf), Leeks, Mustard, Green Onions, Peas, Radishes, Spinach, Turnips

Plant Transplants

Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Lettuce (Head & Leaf)

Roses

Resume full fertilizing of established roses as the weather cools

Toward the end of August and into September add an iron supplement if roses show yellowing from iron deficiency

Fruit and Nut Trees

Late summer application of nitrogen fertilizer probably helps fruit sizing. This is more significant for fall ripening (navels & tangerines) than spring ripening (Grapefruit and Valencia orange) varieties.

Apply nitrogen and zinc to pecan trees to produce normal size leaf growth and to enhance kernel development. Pecans also need more water than most other shade trees.

Landscape Plants

Increase water application as the weather warms.

Apply mulch to the ground around heat sensitive plants keep the roots cooler and prevent evaporation.

Apply chelated iron to bottle brush, pyracantha, silk oak, and other plants with iron deficiency symptoms.

Cut off spent blooms to stimulate rebloom

Native and imported heat tolerant plants can be planted right through the summer months. They will need to be watered on a regular basis until fall.

Transplant palms in the heat of the summer for best results

Protect newly transplanted trees from heavy winds and dust storms by staking carefully

Late August or early September fertilization will benefit most plants struggling to have a flush of growth before slowing down for the winter. The growth put on before dormancy will store more energy during the winter that will be available to the plant when it pushes growth in the spring.

Don't List . . .

Do not expose citrus and other sun sensitive plants to sunburn by pruning during the summer

Do not increase opportunities for fungal disease on turf by over watering or watering at night.

DO NOT OVER WATER which will result in root rot. Allow the soil to dry out between watering.

Frequently Asked Questions during September
in the Low Desert

Damage is Noticed on the Fruit

Citrus fruit split
Inappropriate water management leads to sunburn, or tough rind that is then unable to expand as fruit matures. There is nothing to be done for this season, monitor irrigation carefully next summer.

Damage is Noticed on the Leaves

Leaves of vegetables (particularly cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower etc.) being eaten by snails, slugs,cabbage loopers, or birds.

Bermuda grass is turning yellow-brown and dying in patches, there are tiny white flecks in the soil around the roots

There are tiny little white flies everywhere!

Agave collapsed into a smelly, putrid, mess practically overnight

Seedlings have been clipped off right at the soil line

Older leaves turn yellow and fall off. The plant is stunted. It wilts even when water is available The stem is streaked.

Very sudden die back of an olive tree branch. There is brown or green streaking between the bark and the wood.

There is a gray or white powdery substance on plants

Damage is Noticed on the Stem or Trunk

The bark is discolored on the South or West side of the trunk

There are brown balls/galls on the stems of oleander

Dry, thin bark cracks and splits to reveal black, powdery spores. Foliage above the wound is sparse and leaves may be small. Eventually branches die back to the canker.

Saguaro cactus has large black patches that are oozing and smell terrible

Whole tree, or significant portion of plant died suddenly, the leaves turned brown but did not fall off.

Older leaves turn yellow and fall off. The plant is stunted. It wilts even when water is available The stem is streaked.

Very sudden die back of an olive tree branch. There is brown or green streaking between the bark and the wood.

Damage is Noticed on the Roots

Cultural / Environmental Questions

Citrus fruit split
Inappropriate water management leads to sunburn, or tough rind that is then unable to expand as fruit matures. There is nothing to be done for this season, monitor irrigation carefully next summer.

The bark is discolored on the South or West side of the trunk

Insect/Pest Questions

Bermuda grass is turning yellow-brown and dying in patches, there are tiny white flecks in the soil around the roots

There are tiny little white flies everywhere!

Agave collapsed into a smelly, putrid, mess practically overnight

Seedlings have been clipped off right at the soil line

Leaves of vegetables are being eaten by snails, slugs, cabbage loopers, or birds.

Disease Questions

There is a gray or white powdery substance on plants

Seedlings and bedding plants wilt and die suddenly

There are brown balls/galls on the stems of oleander

Saguaro cactus has large black patches that are oozing and smell terrible

Older leaves turn yellow and fall off. The plant is stunted. It wilts even when water is available The stem is streaked.

Very sudden die back of an olive tree branch. There is brown or green streaking between the bark and the wood.

Whole tree, or significant portion of plant died suddenly, the leaves turned brown but did not fall off.