Let me add a little info about chicken that may be more info than you want. The term "free range" when it comes to meat birds is a marketing ploy with no meaning whatsoever. All that the USDA requires to call birds "free range" is that a door is shown on the plans of the chicken house, whether or not that door is ever opened and whether or not the birds ever go out and regardless of the quality of the range. Meat birds are hybrids, bred to put on weight so fast that by the time they are halfway to slaughter weight, they can hardly walk. (Slaughter weight is 6-8 weeks; they would never survive to sexual maturity as their hearts and bone structure would give out.) They're not going far from the feed trough. The ONLY way to get a real "free range" meat bird is to find a small local grower who raises what's called "pastured poultry." These birds are raised in bottomless cages on pasture; the farmer pulls the cage daily to fresh, green grass and the birds inside waddle along with it. Almost always, they are slaughtered at the farm and pick up is usually at the farm. I know about this because I raised pastured poultry for 7 years, and though my partner and I no longer do it, we are lucky enough to be able to buy pastured poultry from a couple who started up after we quit. BTW, the term "free range" for eggs does have real meaning, and free range eggs are well worth searching out. Egg birds will range far and wide, searching for the insects and other goodies that make their eggs so delicious and healthy. But for meat birds, the farmer has to bring the birds to the goodies, hence "pastured poultry."

Shannon: Sorry I was away for a week. Next time you do this and you like Stuffing, Stand them on edge, in an alluminum pie pan and bend the side up a little, to fit the breasts. Stick 4 skewers in the ends, on top, so you can tie them together, Leaving a space between for stuffing. The bottom shouuld be a little wider, so they won't fall over. Just bake them as you would a Chicken. You could also lay some bacon strips across the top. Here is a Photo of 2 Breasts; that I baked, with Stuffing. These were baked at 350 Degrees, in a Roasting Pan for about 2 hrs. Lou

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Simple Roast Turkey - High Heat Method ====================================== Source:Barbara Kafka Roasting A Simple Art Many Thanksgivings at my house have proved the high-heat method to be ideal. A fifteen-pound turkey at room temperature takes two hours to roast. However, it may take several hours for the turkey to reach room temperature. While the turkey is sitting out, cover it loosely with a towel, otherwise the skin will dry out. I prefer a fifteen-pound turkey as it isn't too heavy for me to handle. It usually gives lots of good leftovers and is generally available. There are certain things to think of to ensure success before beginning: Remove the giblet bag from the interior of the bird. Remove the wing tips. Put everything except the livers into a pot and start Basic Fowl Giblet Gravy. By the time the bird is roasted, the gravy will be done. Use the liver in the dressing/stuffing or store in the freezer, covered with milk. Make sure there is a pan big enough for the turkey without it's touching the sides of the pan. Do not truss. Consider whether the bird should be stuffed or the stuffing served as dressing baked separately. If stuffing, think in terms of twelve cups of stuffing for a 15 pound bird, which will allow the big cavity to be stuffed and some more stuffing to be crammed under the skin flap at the neck. I seldom stuff because there are real food safety questions about the bird and its stuffing sitting out at room temperature. The oven must be very clean before roasting, or cooking at this high temperature will cause unpleasant smoke. In any case, there will be some smoke, so turn on the fan or open a window. Don't put the oven rack too high or the skin on the breast will get over cooked. For a twenty-pound turkey, the rack should be in the lowest position. Always put the turkey in legs first - dark meat takes longer to cook and the rear of the oven is the hottest area. If the top skin seems to be getting too dark, slip a doubled piece of aluminum foil on top of it. Don't move the turkey. Use an oven mitt to protect hands and forearms. Remove the foil with the same oven mitt ten minutes before the turkey comes out. Large turkeys are most easily removed from the pan by holding them with two pot holders, which will need to be washed. After the meal, get out a large stockpot to boil up the carcass and leftover bones for turkey soup and stock. 15 pound turkey, thawed, if necessary and at room temperature, wing tips removed, reserving giblets and neck for gravy, liver for stuffing. Fresh ground black pepper to taste 1 cup water or basic turkey/chicken stock . Place oven rack on second level from bottom of oven. Heat oven to 500F. Rinse the turkey inside and out. Pat dry. Sprinkle the outside with pepper. If stuffing, stuff cavity and crop, securing openings with long metal skewers. Lace them. Do not truss. Put turkey in an 18 X 13 X2 inch roasting pan, breast side up. Put in oven legs first. Roast until the leg joint near the backbone wiggles easily, about 2 hours. After 20 minutes, move the turkey around with a wooden spatula to keep from sticking. Remove the turkey to a large platter. Let sit 20 minutes before carving. Pour off grease from roasting pan and put pan on top of the stove. Add water or stock. Bring to a boil while scraping bottom of pan vigorously with a wooden spoon, loosening all the crisp bits in the bottom of the pan. These add intensity to the gravy. Let reduce by half. Serve on the side in a sauceboat or add to giblet gravy. 9 pounds stuffed 1 hour 45 minutes unstuffed 1 hour 15 minutes 12 pounds stuffed 1 hour 50 minutes unstuffed 1 hour 20 minutes 15 pounds stuffed 2 hours 30 minutes unstuffed 2 hours 20 pounds stuffed 3 hours 30 minutes unstuffed 3 hours Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Simplest Roast chicken ====================== Copied directly from Barbara Kafka's "Roasting, A simple Art" Cookbook. 5- to 6-pound chicken, wing tips removed Freshly ground black pepper, to taste I lemon, halved 4 whole garlic cloves 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup Basic Chicken Stock or canned, water. Fruit juice. or wine for optional deglazing. Kosher salt, to taste Preheat oven to 500°F TOTAL Roasting time 50 ~ 60 minutes Simplest Roast Chicken Serves 2 to 4 Here it is, the recipe that started the book. If there is no lemon, garlic, or butter on hand, roast the chicken without them. Or play. Use peeled shallots or a small onion, quartered. Add some leaves from the top of a bunch of celery, a couple of sage leaves, or a Bay leaf. Try a few juice orange or blood orange wedges. Vary the deglazing liquid to change the flavor of the gravy or to match what's in the bird. Basic Chicken Stock-or canned-is the starting point, but use part wine-whatever is left over, red or white-or a little vermouth. Make one third of the liquid orange juice if oranges are in the bird. This is not astrophysics. Have fun. Place rack on second level from bottom of oven. heat oven to 500°E Remove the fat from the tail and crop end of the chicken. Freeze the neck and giblets for Basic Chicken Stock. Reserve chicken livers for another use. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the lemon, garlic, and butter. if using. Season the cavity and skin with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a 12 x 8 x I 1/2-inch roasting pan breast side up. Put in the oven legs first and roast 50 to 60 minutes, or until the juices run clear. Alter the first 10 minutes, move the chicken with a wooden spatula to keep it from sticking. Remove the chicken to a platter by placing a large wooden spoon into the tail end and balancing the chicken with a kitchen spoon pressed against the crop end. As you lift the chicken, tilt it over the roasting pan so that all the juices run out and into the pan. Pour off or spoon out excess fat from the roasting pan and put the roasting pan on top of the stove. Add the stock or other liquid and bring the contents of the pan to a boil, while scraping the bottom vigorously with a wooden spoon. Let reduce by half. Serve the sauce over the chicken or, for crisp skin, in a sauce boat.

Thanks for the help. I am going to help our guests break every diet they've been on. Tonight I made pickled eggplant, the marinade for the chickens (roasted garlic, grape seed oil, olive oil, rice vinegar sliced lemons and herbs), chopped the beginning of the lamb ragu base vegetables and prepped the green beans. We don't do much dessert because I always cook too much. Final menu is: cheese, salami and olives for snacks pickled eggplant Salad with arugula, fennel, green apple, watercress, almonds and raisins dressed with lemon and olive oil lamb ragu with oriecchette chicken with said marinaide green beans dressed with olive oil, salt and pepper All of it (other than the green beans) is out of this cookbook that I bought on a whim at Home Goods a few years ago (that's the lamb ragu on the cover)