Slow Roasted Whole Chicken

I'm a big believer in whole chickens.  I see some chicken pieces as a big old Jip.  Many times, you can buy a whole chicken for the price of 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts. 

Cooking a whole chicken is not hard.  There are many ways to do it.  Roasting a whole chicken is a very nice way.  If I have the time, this chicken turns into something similar to the rotisserie chicken you can buy in the grocery store deli.

Slow Roasted Chicken. 
4 t. salt
1 t. paprika
1 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. onion powder or dry minced onion.
1/2 t. poultry seasoning
1/2 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. sage
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.  Yes, that's right.  Have I got your attention?

Combine the ingredients and rub or pat them all over a cleaned dried whole chicken.

Clean the chicken by first removing all giblets and parts from the cavity.  I then wash my sink with plenty of good soap, hot water and scrubbing.  My sink gets this treatment a couple times a day every day.  I often put plain liquid dish soap on a green scratchy pad and go at it.  Rinse with very hot water and you are clean.  Trust me.  Stress out over something else.   
 I put the chicken in the sink and run water over it and through it.  I take the time to pick off anything I don't want to eat.  Let's leave it at that.  It's up to you.  I have this weird idea that it's important to be personal with your food, know where it came from and what's in it.  We eat very little that comes out of a box or package. 

Dry the chicken with paper towels inside and out.  Apply seasonings.  Place seasoned chicken in a roasting dish of your choice.  Put it in the preheated oven for 5 hours.  Yes, that's 5 hours at 250 degrees. 

Wash the sink again the same way once you are finished.

I've done this many times with two chickens when I was entertaining, because it all happens ahead of time.  Today, I came home to fix our lunch and put it in then, setting the timer.  I was home well before the timer went off and had time to work on the blog, a luxury these days.  I've got potatoes in the oven.  We'll have some sort of vegetable.  I'll decide that in a little bit.  Just takes some planning and some organization.  Remember to plan ahead.