AGA Roasted Chicken

Roasted chicken in the AGA is probably the first thing that you cook when you get an AGA.  It is so basic but so good. We always forget to cook it often enough. For my most recent attempt I decided to follow the roasting method from the River Cottage Meat Book.  This method consists of 3 phases. The first phase is a hot sizzle to get some color and lock in the moisture. The second phase is a medium cook. The third phase is a rest. The length of phase depends on the size of the chicken.  For a 3 lb bird the directions for a non-AGA ove are: 20 min at 450F, 30-40 min at 350F, 15 min rest with the oven door open.  Obviously these directions need to be AGA-ized.

This is what I did for a 4 lb bird (2-oven):

1. Rub with softened butter, minced garlic and chopped rosemary, do no truss
2. Place in small roasting tin WITHOUT wire rack
3. Cook on highest runners possible in the roasting oven for 25 min; I was able to get on the 1st runners
4. Move to floor of  roasting oven with rack on floor. Cook for 35-40 min.
5. Finish in simmer oven for 15 min on rack on floor.
6. Let cool a few minutes before carving and serving.

If you look closely to the pictures in the River Cottage Meat Book you will see that the author, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, has an AGA.  Maybe he will write an AGA cookbook one day.

Happy reading and eating

AGA Bloga