Chicken, The “Ross” Way

As my husband and I were sitting on the couch one weekend, we felt the need to contact some friends to see if they wanted to go for a cruise. We took the doors and top off of our jeep and took our friends on a drive out to Beaver Lake. Just parked, had a beer, and just chatted. About life, about family, and about absolutely nothing. It was one of those days where the simplicity of life was exactly what we all needed and I sincerely appreciated having such friends at that moment.

On the way back, we were thinking about going out for dinner and drinks and they decided to just invite us over. “Let’s make some chicken!” they said. We ended up going to their house and the husband, famous Ross, puts dinner in the oven. Honestly, I don’t even remember him prepping! Well, after a few drinks and some time passes, dinner is served!

Now, I promise you when I say the drinks we drank had nothing to do with the fact that my husband and I licked our plate clean! I asked for the recipe and he says, “Chicken and some Slap Ya Mama cajun seasoning”. Literally, that was it.

I sincerely absolutely adore these two individuals which is why I am going to say that the extra ingredient was love. They are two people that love their family and friends so hard that the simplest meal taste like restaurant quality. The wife, independent and strong, pushes me to know that the word no is okay to say. The husband, so hard working and obsessed with his wife so much that it shows every time we get the chance to be around them.

So I ask, have you ever had a meal that was made with so much stinking love that it literally tasted like the best meal you have ever had? That is what this recipe is and I am going to share it with you. Now, there will be no measurements but trust me, you won’t get it wrong. So here is how you make chicken, the “Ross” way…

WHAT YOU NEED

A roasting pan would be ideal but I wanted to make this a one pan dish because I would be using the drippings to make gravy. I simply used a cast iron skillet and placed a metal rack in the center of it. The metal rack came from my air fryer. If you don’t have any of those, simply line a baking tray with foil. In the end, you can’t do wrong with this one. I promise.

THE ULTIMATE QUESTION: Breast side up or down?

In my personal opinion, it doesn’t matter. If you ask my husband, ALWAYS breast side up. Most will say this is due to the fat on the bird always being in the back. When you roast it breast-side down, instead of the fat dripping to the bottom of the pan, it drips into the bird. When breast-side down, your chicken will more than likely come out juicier and crisper.

For this recipe, as you can see, I went breast side down and I’m sure my husband did not care because he was too busy going for another bite. For me, it still turned out delicious and I feel like I got a deeper golden color on top! Honestly, if mother is always right, then you should be roasting your chicken breast-side down and turning it right side up halfway through for the perfect cook! In the end, you do you people.

Okay, one more question: To wash your chicken or not?

I was raised with washing your chicken with vinegar and patting it down dry. This is my mommas advice. She always said washing your chicken with vinegar or lemon juice would reduce bacteria. It will also help with tenderizing and flavoring purposes. Simply fill a bowl with warm water and white distilled vinegar. Wearing gloves, dunk the chicken into the water/vinegar mixture. You may then bring out and pat dry.

There are those that will say “NEVER wash your chicken!!“. This is due to splashing water and spreading bacteria onto your hands, work surfaces, clothing, etc. Personally, I trust my mothers method.

Gravy?

The answer is Yes! After chicken is cooked, remove and place on a cutting board. Whisk water and flour together until thick but not pasty. I used about 1 cup water and 1/4 cup flour. Add mixture into your drippings and place pan over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture has thickened and bubbly.

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken
• Olive Oil
• Slap Ya Mama cajun seasoning

For Serving:

• Mashed Potatoes
• Gravy – made from drippings. See notes

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Rub chicken with olive oil
3. Sprinkle with Slap Ya Mama cajun seasoning
4. Place on roasting pan and bake until 165° F or about 25 minutes per lb

Notes

I loved making this in an iron skillet because I could make my gravy immediately after cooking. Simply mix 1 C water and about 1/4 C of flour. Pour into skillet with chicken drippings. Over medium-high heat, whisk until thickened and bubbly.

Homemade Cajun Seasoning:

• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• optional: dash of crushed peppers