Chicken Roasting

I have a subscription to Martha Stewart Living magazine thanks to my Mamoo (my grandmother on my mom's side). The January issue had some beautiful roasted chickens in it and a couple recipes, ever since I read this issue, I was determined I was going to roast a whole chicken.

On a trip to the commissary I was on a mission (for those of you who don't know, the commissary is the grocery store on post and everything is super cheap except for the produce, they have bad produce), I was going to purchase a whole chicken and I was going to roast it! WELL... the commissary was out of chicken that day! Completely out, they had some sign up explaining they were having some issues with the supplier.

While on a quick trip to Kroger for some milk, I ran smack into a whole chicken freezer. Boy were they cheap only $4.19 for the whole chicken. I thought to myself JACKPOT! I picked one up and hurried home. I ended up throwing the chicken in the freezer until I was ready to cook it.

Well the day had come, a big snowstorm (which is about 1.5" in Louisville) was coming. I decided this was the day to make some jerk chicken inspired from our trip to Jamaica. We would be in Jamaica inside and snow covered Louisville in reality.

I took the chicken out of the freezer the day before and put it in the fridge. I thought this would thaw it, wishful thinking. On Thursday morning, I took the chicken out and set it on the counter until about 3 pm. Meanwhile I had been all over town collecting ingredients, well mainly just looking for one, coconut milk for my Jamaican rice and peas. I don't think that coconut milk exists in hillbillyland because I was all over creation looking for it. I guess the hillbillies aren't really into other cultures. When I asked the stores about it the employees looked at me like I was nuts. I settled on some coconut water from Meijer. I also happened to run into those damn raw peanuts I needed for the peanut brittle! Where in the hell where they before Christmas?!?! We had already purchased some jerk sauce while in Jamaica, so after I got this coconut thing figured out I was set!

First I mixed up my rub, half jerk sauce, the other half ginger, all spice, cinniamon, red pepper and nutmeg. Next up was taking the giblets out of the chicken. I thought this was going to be no big deal, but the chicken was not thawed in the middle. I put that puppy in the microwave and hit defrost, no problem, I could handle that!

When the chicken was finished defrosting, it was time to remove the bag of innards, to my dismay, the innards were not in a bag!!! I was freaking out, I looked things up on the internet and they went on and on about not busting the gallbladder because it will ruin the chicken and blah blah blah. I was freaking out so I called my mom. She didn't know what to do either and suggested I throw it away and go get a new one that had them in a bag. I was like really? it is snow storming. She said well call Mamoo and see what she says. She was like just stick your hands in there and rip it all out. I was like oh my God, you have got to be kidding me. So i stuck one of my gorgeous Nambe forks in there and starting ripping it all out, the whole time freaking about about the gallbladder busting, not even knowing what the gallbladder looks like! Well finally I got this baby cleaned, rinsed, and rubbed! Ready to go in the oven!! I have never been so proud of myself! I am a real Martha Stewart now, I cleaned a freaking chicken!!!

I put 1/2 a can of chicken stock and some thyme up its butt and let him roast! Below are some photos.

The chicken stock and thyme ready for my little friend!


My jerk rubbed chicken...
The jerk with his chicken stock and thyme up his butt and ready to rock n' roll!


He's done!!


Jerk chicken and Jamaican rice and peas!


Courtney & AJ pictured (Please ignore whatever in the world is going on with my hair!) @ Scotchies in Monetgo Bay, Jamaica. The inspiration for this meal! If you go to Jamaica, you must go to Scotchies, mon!

After doing this once, it was totally worth it and the chicken was so delicious and cheap! It was even better than the store bought roasted chickens. I will definitely be roasting more chickens in the future! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!