Few recipes are more successful when family or guests come to the house than preparing roast chicken. Today I bring you the way we always make stuffed chicken round (but with the same step by step and tips you can make a whole chicken).

The important thing is to get the chicken to come out very tasty and well roasted, that's why I bring you the key points to roast chicken .

Tips and tricks for roasting chicken

1. Use quality meat , and that is not just saying: it is worth investing in meat that is free-range and that has had a good life and nutrition. The meat will taste better, have a better texture, and won't release as much water or shrink as much.
2. To roast meat, use pieces made of iron and not ceramic*: the iron reaches higher temperatures, with which (1) you will seal the meat more quickly, thus preventing it from losing liquid and flavor; and (2) it reflects heat much better, so you will get a better roasted meat, with that toasty and crispy exterior that we so desire in a roast.
3. You need to provide aroma, a lot of aroma! If something cannot be missing in a good roast, it is (1) a good amount of garlic (at least one head of garlic) and (2) a good amount of herbs , such as rosemary, thyme, bay leaf... Without missing, of course , salt and pepper in the right measure.
4. Go bathing the chicken with the oil , which is more flavored every minute. This way you ensure that it will be tasty and tender inside, while helping to roast the outside.
5. If you are making the chicken en cocotte, during the first part of cooking leave the chicken with the lid on, so that the heat penetrates the meat and cooks from the inside without browning on the outside (also remember that the lid radiates the heat also, so it has been done everywhere.After the first 45 or 50 minutes you can remove the lid.
6. When the chicken is practically done, add a good splash of cognac and let it evaporate. It will add aroma and will make the roast finish roasting in the last few minutes.
7. The accompaniment, to taste. There are those who accompany the chicken with a wide variety of vegetables, from tomatoes to carrots, onions, peppers, mushrooms, apples... There are others who do not, who simply have enough with garlic and onion. The accompaniment do it to your liking, but it is important that you add the vegetables cut in the right size according to their nature and hardness (the hardest vegetables, cut medium or smaller; the softest vegetables or fruits, cut into very large segments). This way you will ensure that they remain whole and are not burned after the long cooking time that these roasts require.

Le Creuset cocottes and Revol pizza platters

In a round cocotte or in an oval cocotte?

The round cocottes are the most popular, as they adapt perfectly to the shape of the kitchen stove and distribute the heat evenly and radially throughout its base.

Thus, a round cocotte will be ideal for your day to day: preparing creams, pasta, rice dishes, grain stews, meat and fish, to make biscuits or to make bread...

When is it ideal to use an oval cocotte? The oval cocotte is ideal for long or whole pieces: for round chicken, for roasting a whole chicken (cut into quarters you can distribute it perfectly in a round), for legs of lamb, for whole fish or large loins... When you want cook long pieces, the oval cocotte is perfect (also, in an oval cocotte you can do everything mentioned above).

With all that said, let's go for this traditional and easy recipe to make Roast Chicken en Cocotte!

Ingredients

• Chicken round (see note)
• 2 onions
• 1 large head of garlic or 1 and a half
• Salt
• Black pepper
• rosemary or thyme
• a bay leaf
• Olive oil
• A generous splash of cognac
• Optional: tomatoes, carrot, potato, mushrooms...

Note: Choose well where you buy the stuffed chicken, make sure it is quality meat and ingredients. There are many types of filling, from the simplest such as cheese and ham, to others that include serrano ham or bacon, raisins, dried apricots, egg, mushrooms, vegetables, apple or pear... This one today is made with egg and plums.

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC.
2. Salt pepper the chicken round on all sides, generously.
3. Pour a good jet of oil in the iron cocotte , so that a large part of the bottom is covered. Introduce the round in the cocotte.
4. Peel the garlic and distribute it whole over the cocotte, surrounding the meat and also arranging it above and below the meat. You can put some peeled and others unpeeled, but be generous when it comes to garlic.
5. Peel and cut the onions in half, and distribute the parts on the sides of the chicken round.
6. If you want to add vegetables, such as carrots or tomatoes, cut them into large pieces and add them to the cocotte now.
7. Sprinkle rosemary on top, leaving several whole branches on top and sides of the chicken as well.
8. Add a good splash of oil (be generous!), close the cocotte and put it in the oven covered.
9. Let it cook, covered, for about 45 to 50 minutes. During that time, turn the chicken over a couple or three times. After that time, remove the lid and raise the temperature to 180-190 ºC. Let it roast for another 45-50 minutes. During that time, turn and spray the chicken with the same cocotte juice several times. When it looks well roasted, remove the cocotte from the oven and let it lose heat.
10. The chicken round is ideal to prepare the day before serving. Whether it's because you've prepared it the day before or you've let it cool for a few hours, it's time to cut: take it out of the cocotte and place it on a wooden board. Cut the net that surrounds it and, with the help of an electric knife or slicer , cut into slices of one centimeter or centimeter and a half, depending on your preferences). Once cut, return the meat to the cocotte.
11. About ten minutes before serving, put the cocotte on the fire, covered, to heat the meat. Remember to serve the meat spraying it with that delicious juice -with all its aroma, there is no better way to enjoy dipping the bread!

Note: While the cocotte is in the oven, I usually prepare some mushrooms in a pan to accompany it. Simply, apply a splash of oil in a pan and put it on the heat, add a couple of peeled garlic cloves and, when it is hot, add the mushrooms or mushrooms you want, cleaned and cut in half. Let them roast a bit and sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs de Provence. When they are starting to cook, you can reserve and add them to the cocotte together with the chicken, when there are about 15 minutes left to finish cooking in the oven. You can also finish making them in the pan, and serve the mushrooms separately for each guest to serve themselves.

And you, what tricks do you have to get a good roast? Leave them in comments, surely we all get very good things from everything you say.

*Ceramic trays are also suitable for roasting, but the result will never be the same as in iron: ceramic is a humid material, so they are really indicated so as not to dry out recipes that you want and want to keep moist, such as cannelloni or lasagna, make stews or bake a cake.