Name: Pollo al forno
Prep time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: Chicken: 3 Kg; Rosemary: 1 spring; Sage: 5 leaves; Extra virgin olive oil: 3 tablespoons; Garlic: 2 cloves; Salt; Pepper

Cuisine:

Italian

Ingredients

3 Kg Chicken
Whole
1 spring Rosemary
5 leaves Sage
3 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves Garlic
Salt
Pepper

Directions

Pollo al forno (Baked Chicken), is a classic second course typical of Italian cuisine! Appetizing, flavorful, fragrant, usually served with baked potatoes! It always pleases everyone from children to adults!

Today I give you my Recipe and tricks how to cook the perfect Pollo al forno! Golden and crispy outside, tender and soft inside! Even whole and large! Succulent chicken thighs and interior that doesn’t dry out! Tasty, perfectly seasoned, just like the Pollo al forno with potatoes that grandmothers used to make!

For the Recipe, you can choose a free-range chicken or a common butcher’s chicken; either small or large size! The Trick for the best result is to follow 2 basic rules: the first, is to season the chicken perfectly with chopped herbs and oil, massaging every part, inside, top, bottom.

The second rule is scientific cooking: calculate 1 1/2 h for each kg of chicken! So if your chicken weighs 2 kg it will have to cook 3 h at a variable temperature that you will find indicated in the step-by-step procedure!

In this case I decided to serve my Pollo al forno with Potatoes , which you can add to the pan at 40 minutes from the end of cooking, following the directions you will find in the procedure! Anyway you can also serve your Pollo al forno without potatoes, it comes out great just the same! and if you want to cook only chicken thighs instead, go ahead and follow the recipe for Baked Turkey drumsticks.

Scaling down the cooking time depending on the weight of your drumsticks! Perfect as a Sunday dish, for a family meal, an evening with friends, special occasions! Follow this Super Proven Recipe and you will bring the tastiest Pollo al forno ever to the table!

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Steps

1 Done	First of all, it is good to know that chicken should not be washed before being cooked! Possibly remove the feathers and discard the waste with a clean dishcloth.
2 Done	The first secret to a perfect roast chicken is to season it perfectly with a chopped seasoning mix! Do not use whole pieces of rosemary, broad leaves, they do not give the right flavor and will burn before time! The pollo al forno will have to cook slow and prolonged, and you need to preserve the flavor mix. Finely chop the rosemary garlics and sage leaves with a knife, along with 3 tablespoons of oil, salt and pepper. The aromatic mix must be thick, full-bodied, fragrant, a pasty cream. Using your hands, massage the chicken inside, outside, under the skin, on the thighs and breast. Each part must be wrapped and flavored
3 Done	Then tie the chicken, legs (best if perfectly attached to the torso) with kitchen twine or elastic kitchen string (so that goes in the oven at high temperature) This step is essential to keep the meat firm and promote tenderness in the final result. Peel the garlics, crush them slightly and add 1 inside and another near the breast on top. If you like you can also add 1/2 cut lemon and insert it into the belly. Add it to pan lightly greased with oil and check well if it is perfectly seasoned. Finally add a light drizzle of oil on the surface.
4 Done	Cooking the pollo al forno The second secret to perfect success is excellent cooking. Cooking the chicken is scientific, for each 1kg of chicken it needs 1 h and a half / 1 h 20 cooking time
5 Done	So before seasoning the roast chicken, weigh it well and keep the weight aside so you can calculate the right times.
6 Done	Preheat the oven to 220°-230°C (428°-446°F), a very high oven is essential otherwise the crispy crust will not form like that of the rotisserie!
7 Done	Bake the chicken in the medium-low part of the oven at 220°C (428°F) for about 35 minutes , after the time indicated has elapsed, open the oven. Line a rack with aluminum foil, or place a drip pan on the very high side to prevent the chicken from burning. Pour the cooking liquid over the chicken entirely.
8 Done	Turn down to 200°C (392°F) and cook from this time 1 1/2 h for each kg of chicken.
9 Done	after 1 1/2 hours check the liquid, pour most of it a small bowl, prick the chicken, which will surely pull out more liquid, and water if necessary every half hour.
10 Done	Meanwhile, prepare the POTATOES. Place them on the shelf just above the chicken (removing the grill or drip pan). About 40 minutes from the end of cooking time, add the potatoes to the chicken turn, add 2 - 3 tablespoons of the chicken cooking juices set aside. Transfer everything to the medium-high part of the oven, without a drip pan, bake the last 40 minutes at 190°C (374°F) and the last 10 operate the grill so that your baked chicken with potatoes will flavor and toast for good!
11 Done	Here is the Pollo al forno ready to be served! Look at the softness of the breast! A soft and juicy baked chicken in all its parts!
12 Done	Tips It keeps very well even the next day, as long as you heat it at least 40 minutes at 180°C (356°F) with 1 cup of water. It needs to revive inside too so it doesn't turn out stodgy!