this recipe turned out very good, but I had a little problem with the chicken. My bird was smaller than the recipe called for (2-3/4 lbs.) I also had the butcher split the bird in half. Because the bird was small, I roasted it 35 min. instead of 45 min. on the back, and then 45 min breast side up. the skin was not brown, and it didn't look done, so I put it back in for another 15 min. At this point the skin was acceptably brown (but not as brown as I'd like it) and I was afraid to keep it in the oven any longer, so I pulled it out and let it rest for 10 min before carving. It was done but a little tough.

Where did I go wrong? How do I get the bird cooked and the skin crisped without over cooking? Should I have followed the times for the recipe despite the smaller size of the bird? I used the temperature specified, but I suspect my oven of being a little slow.

Also, what's the difference between pancetta and bacon? I did get the pancetta, but had to go to a three different stores to find it. Thanks.

thanks for your help. The recipe was very good despite my inexpert application.

Hi, Karen hasn't been around for a while. I'll try to help, though I know you intended the questions for her.

I'm not familiar with the recipe, but when cooking meat and poultry it's always helpful to pull the meat out of the frig two hours before cooking. (That's not long enough to cause spoilage.) Bringing the meat up to room temperature before cooking always helps it to cook more evenly.

As for crisping the skin, did you cover the bird? I've noticed over the years that people seem to be terrified of roasting with dry heat. They want to cover or roast in a bag or put it in a crock pot. But that creates braised dishes rather than roasted dishes. Dry heat (ie, don't cover the food while cooking) is what you want to do for roasting.

You also want to dry the skin of the bird before putting it in the oven. After you rinse it, pat it dry and then let it air-dry a bit.

Lastly, some of those commercial birds have gotten pretty bad. I don't know what they're doing to those poor birds, but I find them tough, sometimes bitter, never chicken-y. I've had to resort to buying only the expensive organic ones from Whole Foods (Rosie, Rocky, etc.). They just turn out much better.

HTH.

Thanks for your response. I bought my bird (a Mary's "air chilled" chicken) from Whole Foods. I did roast it uncovered. Next time, I will try letting the bird come to room temperature and drying the skin. But I also think I'm going to brine the bird first.