Roast Chicken
Recipe No. 362 from the U.S. Army's WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.
Army TM10-412 · Chicken · Meat
Recipe No. 362 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.
Ingredients
- Chickens, young, fat* — 100 pounds
- Salt — 8 ounces (⅓ mess kit cup)
- Pepper — 1 ounce (4 mess kit spoons)
Directions
- Clean chickens. Wash inside and out; dry thoroughly.
- If chickens are large, tie legs together and tie string around chicken to hold wings close to the body.
- Rub cavity with salt and pepper; stuff with poultry dressing (recipe No. 365) if desired.
- Brush chickens with melted fat; place in baking pans without stacking or crowding.
- Bake, uncovered and without water, at constant temperature in moderate oven (350° F.) 2 to 2½ hours or until thoroughly cooked and juices no longer pink. Turn chickens frequently to insure even cooking. Baste at regular intervals with the juice.
Notes
SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Chickens, young, fat — 8 lb Salt — ⅔ oz Pepper — about ½ tsp
Select chickens weighing 4 to 5 pounds each.
— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 362, Meat. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.