Roast chicken is easily one of my favorite meals, and it's so easy. I read about using a Bundt pan to roast chicken on a blog recently and I thought I'd give it a shot.
First, you should know that meat and chicken cook more evenly and brown better if you don't try to roast or grill them cold. My chicken was pretty cold, so I put it in a sinkful of hot water first, still in its package.
After the chicken was room temperature, I removed the gizzard, liver, and neck and discarded them. (You can reserve them for chicken stock, if desired, and the gizzard and liver make excellent dog treats once cooked.)
Preheat the oven to 400º and lower the rack to the bottom third of the oven.
I prepared some vegetables for the bottom of the Bundt pan- small Yukon Gold potatoes, carrot chunks, and wedges of red onion. I seasoned them with salt and pepper and tossed in 4 sprigs of thyme from my garden.
This Bundt pan originally belonged to my Great-Grandmother Castle, a helluva lady and a great cook. She made fantastic rum cake in this pan every holiday season, and I hope I do her memory justice. I like to think this pan has good kitchen karma.
Place the Bundt pan on a sheet pan- not a cookie sheet, but one with sides, just in case some juice escapes. Plop the chicken ass-down over the center of the Bundt. Brush it with melted butter and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the neck cavity with an onion half and some more thyme sprigs.
Roast the bird and veggies in the preheated 400º oven for about an hour, until the skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer registers 160º. Serve the carved chicken with the vegetables and drizzle everything with the pan juices.
Perfect!
