Cooking Chicken in DCB: Cover or Uncover?

[PamperedchefDaly]

Has anybody tried the 30 minute chicken in the DCB with the cover on? Does it take longer? I know the recipe says to cook it with the cover off, then cover it after you take it out of the oven. However, at my last party, I cooked the chicken with the cover off, and it made a real mess of the microwave! Grease (and seasoning) was splattered everywhere. I was embarassed, and the hostess looked annoyed. I'm doing a show Tuesday night and I'm not sure whether to cover or uncover.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

That's strange...I do mine with the lid off all the time, at home and for shows, and I've never had it splatter. I wonder why it did for you?

Weird, huh?

 

[teresah551393]

I do mine with the lid on, always. It comes out great and only takes about 22-25 minutes!

 

[lmradlein]

I use the lid too! Mine is always done in 30 min or less!

 

[DessertDivaFL]

This is what I do:

Skin on without lid.

Skin off with lid. (my preference)

 

[Jinkies]

I've only ever had it on in the microwave. I love it!!!

 

[etteluap70PC]

I do mine with the lid on. YUM! 25-30 minutes Yum!!!

 

[pamperedharriet]

I do it with the lid on.

 

[DessertDivaFL]

Has anyone tried taking the skin off the breast portion, sprinkling one of our rubs and microwave with lid on? That is so amazing! Seriously, try it sometime.

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Has anyone tried taking the skin off the breast portion, sprinkling one of our rubs and microwave with lid on? That is so amazing! Seriously, try it sometime.

I do this too. For shows, I leave the skin on, and do it uncovered. It's the fact that it gets a nice crispish (I may have just made up that word!) crust that gets so many oohhhs and aaahhhs. We don't eat the skin at our house, so I usually just take it off. I do the seasoning just the same though. I oil the chicken, use the basic PC rub recipe, and then just add to it.

 

[gailz2]

Becky, I didn't know it would get "crispish" with the lid off -- I had no idea microwaves would crisp anything (except the chocolate I burned in it at a show).

 

[ChefBeckyD]

Becky, I didn't know it would get "crispish" with the lid off -- I had no idea microwaves would crisp anything (except the chocolate I burned in it at a show).

When you do it like the official PC instructions say to, oiling the chicken, and then using the flour/paprika/herb mixture - it gets a nice crust on it. That is why I do it with the lid off...it's more "roasted chicken" looking that way.

 

[shelly.nurse]

I did two at work today for lunch exactly the way the show tips for the 30 minute chicken says, and we all were amazed. I have one person planning to buy the kitchen spritzer and DCB and another one thinking about it!! Pretty good out of the 3 people that can really afford to buy stuff like that!! And my hostess for this saturday's show is seriously thinking of getting a new microwave (her's is too small) so she can get the DCB to cook a chicken (this girl does NOT cook anything except hamburger helper, chicken helper, tuna helper, you get the point!!)

 

[mrshamel3808]

My mom always kept the bags from cereal boxes and would cut those into flat sheets and used them for covers in the microwave. If you want to do it with the lid off but want to make sure you're not making a host's microwave a disaster you could bring that. It works better than a paper towel because the paper towel will stick to the wetness and that's nasty. The plastic sheet doesn't melt, but also allows it to get crisp (I would assume, I've never tried it) since it's not completely covering it; it's just resting on top like an umbrella.

 

[pampchefsarah]

My mom always kept the bags from cereal boxes and would cut those into flat sheets and used them for covers in the microwave. If you want to do it with the lid off but want to make sure you're not making a host's microwave a disaster you could bring that. It works better than a paper towel because the paper towel will stick to the wetness and that's nasty. The plastic sheet doesn't melt, but also allows it to get crisp (I would assume, I've never tried it) since it's not completely covering it; it's just resting on top like an umbrella.

OR, you could use PC Parchment Paper, which would a) showcase another PC item, and b) probably help crisp the skin.

Our AD did the 30 minute chicken for our last Cluster Meeting (the chicken was then cut up and used in Ceasar Salad), and the skin was really crispy. I believe she said she made it with the lid on, because I remember being surprised how beautiful and brown it was, like it had just come out of the oven. I've only made this once, but am doing it at a show on 7/3, so I guess I better get practicing!

 

[mrshamel3808]

OR, you could use PC Parchment Paper, which would a) showcase another PC item, and b) probably help crisp the skin.

Our AD did the 30 minute chicken for our last Cluster Meeting (the chicken was then cut up and used in Ceasar Salad), and the skin was really crispy. I believe she said she made it with the lid on, because I remember being surprised how beautiful and brown it was, like it had just come out of the oven. I've only made this once, but am doing it at a show on 7/3, so I guess I better get practicing!

Haha, good point! I've never used the parchment paper so I didn't even think of it!