Roast chicken
Roast chicken is a whole chicken cooked with dry heat, usually in an oven or over a fire. Roasting browns the skin while cooking the meat through.
Roasting: Roasting cooks food with dry heat, usually in an oven or over a fire. This cooking method exposes the chicken to hot, dry air.
Chicken: A domesticated bird raised for meat and eggs, belonging to the species Gallus gallus domesticus. Roast chicken is a cooked preparation of this bird.
Rotisserie chicken: Chicken cooked while rotating on a spit near or within a heat source. Rotation gives this roast-chicken preparation steady exposure to heat.
Poaching: Cooking food gently in liquid held below its boiling point. Unlike roasting, poaching surrounds the chicken with liquid rather than dry heat.
Maillard reaction: A set of chemical reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars that creates browned colors and savory flavors. It helps create the roast chicken’s browned skin and roasted aromas.
Poultry: Domesticated birds raised for meat, eggs, or other products. Chicken belongs to this broader group of food animals.
Sunday roast: A traditional British meal of roasted meat, vegetables, and accompaniments, commonly eaten on Sunday. Roast chicken is a familiar centerpiece for this meal.
Braising: Cooking food slowly with a small amount of liquid in a covered vessel. Braising favors moist, covered cooking instead of a browned dry exterior.
Carryover cooking: The continued rise in a food’s internal temperature after it leaves the heat source. The chicken’s center can keep heating while the cooked bird rests.
Brining: Soaking food in a salt solution, or applying salt directly, to season it and affect moisture retention. Brining seasons the meat and can help it retain moisture.