Pre-cooking a roast chicken

[croyde]

Will be getting home from work on Christmas Day at 6pm.

Would like to get the dinner ready by 7pm.

Veggies are fine, potatoes and parsnips are Aunt Bessies so it's just the chicken that'll take time.

1 hour and 25m oven time.

Is there something I can do, like cooking the day before then warming up, or even cooking in the morning before I head off to work.

I guess cooking the day before will mean ending up with a dry bird.

Any ideas, ta.

[i4got]

Nothing to stop you serving cold slices of chicken from a chicken cooked the prior day and kept in the fridge. The gravy will warm it up.

[condor]

I often have leftover sliced roast chicken breast reheated in the microwave oven for between 20-30 seconds, Has been as moist as the previous day's proper roast chicken meal.

[Sonie]

Spatchcock Chicken cooks quicker (ie cut it in half)

[Whoozit]

Stick it in the oven before you head off, on a timer?

[MiniMan64]

Cook it the day before. We usually do all our meat the night before, less stress on the day.

[AlexC1981]

Sonie said:

Spatchcock Chicken cooks quicker (ie cut it in half)

Sounds like a good idea. Prepare it the day before and cook it for half the time you usually would.

[number2]

AlexC1981 said:

Sonie said:

Spatchcock Chicken cooks quicker (ie cut it in half)

Sounds like a good idea. Prepare it the day before and cook it for half the time you usually would.

Yeah, spatchcock, dry brine and butter under the skin and leave in fridge until you're ready to cook it.

Home at 1800, oven on to 200c, chicken in at 1810, and out of oven at 1855. Maybe a bit longer depending on size.