Recipe: Roasted Chicken and Gravy – A Frugal Favorite

It’s pretty easy to buy a roaster these days – you can find them in most grocery stores for about 7-8 dollars. However, you can also easily make your own and save a few dollars in the process.

This is the basic recipe for the roasted chicken but you can also add a few herbs and spices if you want to kick things up a notch. See the cooking tips for a few suggestions.

Time to Prepare:

1 hour 15 minutes; 15 prep & 1 hour to cook

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Roasting Chicken (4 pounds)
• 1/4 cup Butter (or Olive Oil)
• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• Salt and Pepper
• Poultry Thermometer & Baster

Directions

Roasted Chicken

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Rinse chicken in the sink and pat dry.
3. Rub the chicken with salt and pepper and place it in a roasting pan.
4. In a small dish, blend the butter and 2 Tablespoons of the flour into a paste.
5. Rub the mixture over the breast and legs. Optional: You can also loosen the skin with your fingers & rub it under the skin.
6. Dredge the bottom of the pan with the remaining flour.
7. Bake chicken at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. By this time the flour should be slightly browned.
8. While chicken is cooking melt the remaining 2 Tablespoons of butter in 1/4 cup boiling water. Use this to baste the chicken.
9. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees without removing the chicken from the oven. Bake for an additional 15 minutes.
10. Test with a thermometer until it is 165 degrees.
11. Prepare the gravy while the chicken is resting.

Gravy

1. Pour off the liquid from the roasting pan into a small dish. Let it settle for a few minutes until it separates slightly.
2. Spoon 4 tablespoons of the chicken fat and place back in the pan over medium heat.
3. Whisk in the flour.
4. When it starts to bubble, add 2 cups of broth a little bit at a time.
5. Continue to stir with the whisk.
6. Season with salt & pepper.

Cooking Tips

• Allow the chicken to rest 10 minutes prior to serving to allow the juices to redistribute through the bird. If you cut it too early, the juices will run out resulting in a dry chicken.
• A four-pound chicken takes about 1-1/4 hour to roast at an even 350 degrees. Instead of leaving the temperature constant, we increase the time at the end to speed the process and create a beautifully browned skin.
• Add water during cooking if the pan looks dry.
• Substitute olive oil for the butter to create a heart-healthy meal. You can also use 1/2 of each.
• The following herbs & spices can be added while preparing the chicken.
  • Add 3 sprigs of rosemary to the pan during roasting
  • Chop 2 cloves garlic and 3 sprigs thyme, add to the butter/flour mixture & rub into chicken
  • Slice 2 lemons, squeeze over chicken and add to roasting pan while cooking. This will add a nice brightness to the flavor.