TRUSS...BUT VERIFY... THE CHICKEN CHRONICLES, PART DEUX

 I think Ronald Regan said that...sort of. After the big truss up, it was time to fingerpaint in the butter. Again I was following the step-by-step in Julia's "The Way to Cook." I cut the amount of butter by half, figuring that 1 tablespoon shmeared over the bird would do the trick. I added a little Meyer lemon olive oil from Lucero. So Henrietta was ready for the big roast up.

Julia said to pre heat the oven to 450 degrees. I followed this and put the bird in. At 10 minute intervals (per Julia) I was to open the oven and baste, turning the bird on a side. So I opened the oven door after just ten minutes and immediately set off the smoke alarms and was enveloped in a cloud of smoke. Seems I didn't read the fine print...something about if it smokes, add some water to the pan and that will fix it...
Clearly they didn't have a smoke alarm in their Santa Barbara home (Paul and Julia) in the 1980's when she was writing this cookbook...or maybe her kitchen didn't open up to the rest of the living area like my "open plan" house. Or maybe she had a big ass venting system in her range hood.
The cat and dog made for under the bed and I yelled for Jack to come and help me. We opened every window and door in the place (it was 50 degrees and raining at the time). I poured 2 cups of water into the roasting pan and then another cup just to make sure I had enough to cover the bottom. I lowered the oven temp to 425 and hoped that in the next 10 minute basting period, all would be well.  
When the dinger went off, I slowly cracked the oven door open and again the smoke alarm went wild. I added more water and again turned down the temp (per Julia) to 350 for the rest of the roasting time. Thank goodness, I thought...that'll cure it. 
This drill continued every 10 minutes. Now the smoke alarm was only peeping for a second or two. I kept flipping the bird so to speak every 10 minutes and basting, basting, basting. By 70 minutes, the bird was done and so was I!
Yes, it was brown but sort of looked like a war victim in the skin department...all that turning took its toll.

    So here it is sliced and ready for dinner...and yes, it was moist...
Gosh, now I know why I sometimes just buy a cooked rotisserie bird at Costco...Bon Apetit, Julia!