Off Day Cooking--Chicken....

I always believe in a self-created thumbrule:
Roasts are meant for winters...
Grills are meant for summers!!!
I dont know, why I created such a thumbrule for myself. Its winter here, perhaps this winter I did a lot of roasts for myself---pork, lamb & today its poulet roti[Fr. means Roasted Chicken](I dont eat beef for a number of reasons. Mainly due to health concerns....].
I have craving for roast chicken since Christmas, since I cook roast chicken, almost every year in my home-sweet-home during Christmas. Perhaps, this year, I didn't cook anything on Christmas, except helping my kitchen staff, to make the function successful!!!
Due to a recent discovery of high purine in my blood level, doctor advised some food restrictions, I changed my plan from seafood risotto to roast chicken. Classical accompaniments for a portion of roast chicken are bread sauce[it makes ur starch accompaniment+sauce],watercress, matchstick potaotes etc. But concepts are changing these days--Mint Sauce is said to go with roast lamb, the sauce is just like water. However, in Dubai I saw some kind of mint jelly---quite sweet in taste, compared to that tart Mint Sauce, as we used to make in kitchen.
Roast chicken is versatile than other roasts. Firstly, it is easy to prepare, secondly it does not need much time-depending on the weight of the chicken you have, thirdly, the leftovers can be used-you can use them as your favorite topping for your pizza, make roast-chicken sandwich,fourthly, you can pop in the tit-bits of roast chicken to your risotto & make some classic risotto with roast chicken & mushrooms. Fifthly, it is quite cost-effective for smaller groups, sixthly, the tit-bits can be used for making some salads,  and seventhly, the left over bones can make a good stock of your choice-brown or white.
Some people are too interested in making some stuffings--but for me, I am happy with the chicken itself. Classical garnishes for roast chicken are like root vegetables--carrots, celeriac, parsnip, potatoes. Generally, I put carrots & potatoes with the chicken while are being roasted. I remember, in Chennai, we used to some pathetic wilted bok-choy alongwith the chicken--perhaps the chef who put this in the menu was thinking of Chinese-European fusion--personally I disliked this fusion!!
Sauce--I am quite skeptical about it. Brown sauce or the more time-consuming demi-glace,seems to be perfect with it or if you prefer, you may go for the easy bread-sauce. It takes around 8-10 minutes to prepare!
Chicken, unfortunately, doesn't have any flavour of its own & doesn't have marbled fat like beef, veal or lamb. So you need some good basting & give it a good marination. In this world, there are plenty of marination---grated lime rind, grated orange rind, array of herbs, seasonings, seasoned oils & what not.
A standard time is suggested for roasting chicken, generally which is 25 minutes per pound + 25 minutes. This time depends on the temperature at which you roast your chicken, the size and weight of the chicken. In between, whilst roasting the chicken, dont forget to baste the chicken, to make sure it gets a crispy skin[Ohh..i love the crispy skin of roast chicken...]& also the end-result is tender. Almost any standard cookbooks advise for a resting time, after any meat is being roasted--this helps in redistribution of juices. So it is with chicken.
Now enough of advise from me. Let me tell you, what I am preparing & it will be followed by a quick recipe. My Menu is "Roasted Chicken, with chestnut puree, balsamic & jus reduction". Vegetables, i would prefer some carrots & beans just little blanched & then just saute in a little butter...thats it. Perhaps, would have indulged in little steamed asparagus n all sorts of fancy stuff....
Ingredients:
For the Roast Chicken
Chicken- 1 no. with the skin on, winglets & giblets removed...
Seasoning-to taste

Rosemary- 1 sprig

Oil- 15 ml

Butter-20gm[for basting]

Thread- 1/2 mtr [for tying]

For the Chesnut Puree

Chestnuts- 50 gm

Milk- 100 ml

Seasonings-To taste

For the Sauce

Balsamic Vinegar- 60 ml

Brown Sauce- 60 ml

For the Vegetables

Carrot- 50 gm

Haricot Beans- 50 gm[better known as "French beans"]

Method:

For the roast chicken

Turn on the oven & temperature to be 200 Deg C. Put in the chicken in the roasting tray & roast as per the timeline, I suggested before. Dont forget to baste the chicken with fat!!!The breastside up, not down.

For the sauce

Heat the jus with the balsamic & reduce till half.Season & keep hot.

For the Chestnut puree

Boil the chestnuts in milk till tender. Season & make a fine puree. Keep hot.

For the vegetables

Peel , trim & cut the carrots into sticks. Trim the ends of the french beans & leave whole. Blanch & saute in little butter & seasoning.

A Chef used to say, "Roast a meat for about 100 times, to know, how it is being roasted--the chemical & physical changes whilst it is being cooked". He was not wrong...

Happy Cooking!!!