Upside down Roasted Chicken

I’ve been working on developing pulled chicken meat for a client. We want dark and white chicken meat and it has to be juicy and tender! Roasting whole chickens provided more succulent meat than moist heat cooking but the breast generally is dry, even at 165F so inverting the chicken became the solution!

I heard an interesting podcast over the holidays regarding the proper way to roast turkey or chicken. I like the method of seasoning and stuffing the cavity with aromatics, trussing and oven roasting at a high temperature to develop the beautiful, brown, crisp skin…. Lower the heat to cook until the chicken or duck or turkey reaches temp. I usually place over a bed of mirepoix.

I’ve been experimenting roasting whole chickens ‘upside down’ to protect the breast and I have to report…. It’s pretty darn juicy and delicious. The turkey in a bag method seems very ‘un-chef like’ and of course, I love the spatchcock style for crispy skin.

delicious to use the leftovers over rice

Not the most beautiful roasted bird…. but so juicy! Great to shred warm and use in salads, tacos, etc…. don’t forget to discard the butcher’s twine!

or hearty, vegetable soup