What do you do with a whole chicken to make it great?

[TitsalinaBumSquash]

I discovered a whole bird in my freezer, it's defrosted over night, I was going to roast it as normal but I quite fancy doing something a bit different from the usual roast. Anyone got any ideas or tips for me?

Poach it in wine, tarragon, stock. Use the liquid to make a sauce with cream. :)

Knob of butter, crushed garlic, thyme and lemon zest, squished up and rubbed in under the skin. Cut rest of lemon in half and shove in cavity. Roast.

Use the lemony juices as a light gravy. Is lovely as a summer roast with some green veg or a salad and new pot's, I think it's a Jamie Oliver recipe.

Stuff the cavity with tamarind, ginger garlic and chilli put in a large pot address some lemongrass sticks, cover with water cook on the hob until tender,
Cook some noodles and sugar snap peas separately.
Strain the stock from the chicken to remover the lemongrass etc. add fish sauce lime juice and a little sugar and pour over the noodles and peas,
Tear up some chicken over your lovely noodle soup!

I must be tired. I read it as "what to do with a male chicken...."

Delia smiths morrocan chicken is delicious but a bit of a faff

here

Jamie Oliver's Empire roasted chicken - really, really good. here

ambrosious that sounds bloody delicious!!

That does sound very good ambrosious, will be keeping that one, thank you :)

Jamie Oliver's got some good recipes! I get bored with same old roasts too. So I tried his poussin recipe with an old-ish cock - it was fab. Joint and brown chicken. All in a pot with pureed sun-dried toms, oranges quatered and stabbed with rosemay and cinnamon, topped up with wine - put in oven. Full description here

I second anchorwoman's suggestion - I like to squish the lemony, garlicky butter under the skin too. Yum. Sprinkle with salt for a crispy skin...

Lovely ideas, thanks! :)

Anchorwoman wins for me too, the best way to roast a chicken imo!!! I put some garlic in the cavity and any leftover thyme as it makes the chicken taste herby from the inside. I also like putting a broken up clove of garlic with skin on in the tray (slightly raised above any juices on wire tray) half way through cooking. Lovely cooked and sometimes slightly crunchy garlic to eat on bread or just squish out into your mouth.

Too late for you for tonight, but I love the Heston method - brine overnight then cook for 4 hours at a very low temp. Just stuck one in the oven for us.

Also too late but here's another one:

Get a big knife and cut the chicken down the breastbone. Open it out (you will hear its bones breaking - not for the squeamish) until it's pretty much flat.

Rub it with olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, cayenne, crushed black pepper, fresh thyme and a little salt. Cut slashes in the thighs and drumsticks and put slices of garlic in the slashes.

Cook in the oven/grill/barbecue for c. 55 mins.

I'm going to print this thread now for my recipe file, great tips here from everyone. Hope you enjoyed your chicken Titsalina!