On the occasion of Christmas preparing the whole roast chicken for the family, relatives and guests makes perfect dish for the lunch or dinner. Here is the recipe for preparing it at home and drawing praise from all.
WHOLE ROAST CHICKEN
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (insides cleaned). This should be around 1.5-2 kilograms
3-4 boiled potatoes
1 cup steamed peas
1 cup mushroom (chopped)
2 tbsp dijon mustard
3-4 tbsp barbeque sauce
4-5 cloves garlic (grated)
Rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and ground black pepper to taste
Juice of two to three lemons
Method:
First marinate. Make sure when you get the chicken from the butcher shop the insides of the chicken have been cleaned well with all organs removed and no blood left. Leave the skin on the chicken as per your preference. The skin becomes crispy and the fat under it melts adding more flavours to the chicken but if you are health conscious then ask the butcher to take the skin off.
Once you’re ready to marinate the chicken place it in a bowl and pour on balsamic vinegar, mustard, barbeque sauce, honey and the lemon juice. Rub the chicken with the garlic, salt and pepper. Add rosemary.Let the chicken stay in the marinade for at least two to three hours. The longer the better. Since the effort is to roast an entire chicken why not just leave it in overnight?
Now to roast
Boil the potatoes, take the skin off and cut them in half. Steam the peas. One can pressure cook them and you can add a tablespoon of sugar in the water to sweeten the peas. One whistle and they are good to go.
Place the marinated chicken in a nice serving dish. Stuff the chicken with the boiled potatoes, steamed peas and chopped mushrooms. Whatever peas, potatoes and mushrooms are left place around the chicken ornamentally.
Preheat the oven at 200 Celsius for about 15 to 20 minutes. Put the chicken into the oven and let it cook for about 45-50 minutes.
(Note: Every oven has different heat settings so temperatures tend to vary so one will need to check when the chicken is done.)
Serve straight out of the oven with bread some brown sauce, bread, herb-garlic butter and mashed potatoes.
For brown sauce
Take some chicken stock bring to a boil, pour in Worcestershire sauce, barbeque sauce, garlic and salt to taste. Add a spoonful of corn flour mixed with water to thicken.
(Chef Samta Gupta is the Head Chef, Desi Roots)
Published - December 23, 2015 08:27 pm IST