This is the usual way I roast my chickens, Anna - but for a few minor differences.
Oven 400 F.
Don't bother with skin-pricking - the high roast knocks the fat out without the need of acupuncture.
Put one lemon cut into quarters and one small onion cut into quarters inside the chix with a knob of butter right in the middle of them. If they don't all fit, throw the extras onto the bottom of the roasting pan.
Don't bother to do any sewing chores unless there's an audience who are ready and waiting to appreciate the glory of the sewn-up bird before you carve it. Usually by the time I get the chicken out of the oven my audience is howling with desire from the aroma and I fear for my life unless I get it cut up and served ASAP. I've not found any appreciable difference in the done-ness of the breast meat using this method for one regular-size chicken in the home kitchen - tying or sewing vs. not. It could be that the high heat and the knob of butter provide whatever is needed to compensate.
Turn chicken every half hour till done - usually around one and a half hours. Around two hours would be a big chix.
If you like crispy skin, use a rack on top of a roasting pan for the bird to sit upon. I just use the rack from my toaster oven placed upon a gorgeous yellow-glazed rectangular pan. It looks great.
When done, pour in a tiny dollop of boiling water (made in the microwave tout suite) and stir the drippings together for a non-reduction sauce. Remove any excess lemons, of course. The onions generally almost-disintegrate into the sauce. Down-and-dirty. And very very good.
That was a lot of words to describe a very simple process but I felt it needed to be said. I do like to avoid any chores involving sewing.
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Here's a recipe for a dense chocolate dessert which is incredibly simple.
Boule de Neige
Ingredients
8 oz. extra-bittersweet choc
2 tsp. instant espresso
3/4 C sugar
1/2 C boiling water
2 sticks butter, soft
4 large eggs
1 T Grand Marnier
Heavy Cream/Sugar for whipped cream decoration
Action Plan
(Preheat oven 350 F.)
1. Process chocolate together with espresso and sugar in food processor till choc is fine slivers.
2. Add boiling water with machine on.
3. Add butter, eggs, Grand Marnier - with machine on or bit by bit your choice, till smoothly blended.
4. Line 5C mold (I use a stainless steel bowl) double lined with aluminum foil 45 min. to 1 hour till top cracks.
5. Refrigerate overnight till firm. Unmold - decorate with whipped cream.
It's sort of like eating a rich chocolate bar. Really I don't know why I bother to make it rather than just eating a rich chocolate bar but it does create an atmosphere of fanciness which denotes sacrifice of precious time.
