Frozen whole chickens and turkeys can be successfully thawed in the microwave oven-just make sure to rotate the bird often. Allow the fowl to rest in between periods in the oven. Cover spots that begin to cook with bits of aluminum foil so that when the bird is cooked you will not have overdone spots. When roasting a bird, check for doneness by removing the bird from the oven and inserting the thermometer. If the temperature is 20° below the final temperature desired, it is time to let the bird stand - it will finish cooking out of the oven.

When cooking chicken parts, put the larger pieces of chicken on the outer edges of the dish and the smaller pieces in the center, so that all pieces will cook evenly.