Handy Tools: Roasting Pan

A roasting pan, like the one I used to make Roast Chicken with Vegetables, is specifically designed to make the process of roasting as easy as possible.  Roasting is such an easy way to make a meal that will save you a lot of money in the long run, so having a roasting pan is extraordinarily useful because it makes the process all but foolproof.  The following are the features that make a roasting pan (with lid!!!!) so useful:

1)  Perfect size and shape.  No need to fiddle with making sure that the chicken will fit in the pan, the pan is deep enough to hold the liquid, or the lid will fit over the turkey.  A roasting pan is designed to handle exactly these food items - making sure that your meal will fit!

2)  Dome-shaped lid.  Get a roasting pan that has some kind of dome-shaped - or at least very tall - lid.  The purpose of this shape is twofold.  First, the height of the lid helps accommodate larger items, allowing you to cook more in a smaller space.  The second - and most important feature - is that it helps with self-basting.  This fact is so important that I'm going to give it its own number in the list!

3)  Self-basting lid.  The dome-shaped lid of roasting pans (that come with them) today is self-basting.  What does this mean?  Well, remember the water that I put in the bottom of the pan in the Roast Chicken with Vegetables recipe?  As the roasting begins, the chicken (or turkey, etc) will loose flavorful juices, which will mix with the water on the bottom of the pan.  Now, remember back to Thanksgiving commercials from when you were little, and they'd show a woman taking a turkey out of the oven, and using a baster (nozzle with a bulb on the end) to take the juices from the bottom of the pan and drizzle it over the turkey.  This is a crucial step for making sure that the turkey (or chicken, etc) does not loose flavor or moisture.  Well, the self-basting lid does this for you.  As the water/juice mixture heats up, it evaporates.  When it hits the lid, it condenses and falls back down onto the chicken (in my case).  It's one less thing you need to worry about while the chicken is roasting, but the flavor and moisture will still be there.

4)  Grate.  Most roasting pans will come with a grate with handles that rests in the bottom of the pan.  This keeps the chicken and vegetables off of the bottom of the pan (which helps prevent sticking and burn spots), and makes it easier to lift the chicken out of the roasting pan for carving. 

As far as kitchen tools go, a roasting pan is a great investment that will help make things like roasting easier, but can also be used without the grate to cook other dishes.  Make sure you get one with a lid....otherwise, you'll need a baster and a fondness for acting out old Thanksgiving commercials.  Just enter the search "Hi-dome roaster" in your favorite search engine, and I guarantee you'll find one at a price your wallet can stomach.