I roasted a chicken today for two reasons.

The first was that I had a chicken that needed to be cooked – it was one of the two that still had their heads on because I forgot to leave instructions with the butcher to decapitate the chickens. As you can see, I really wanted to get rid of all these extra heads in my freezer!

The second reason for roasting a chicken was because one of the ladies in one of the cooking groups I belong to (yes I am talking about you, Sara!) cooked this Roasted Thai Red Curry Chicken and when I saw her post, I simply HAD to eat chicken. The power of suggestion. LOL!

So I caved.

And I cooked this.

I am going to throw humility to the winds and tell you this was REALLY DELICIOUS!

I rubbed the chicken with a combination of butter and a mix of my favorite blend of spices. I sprinkle this blend on everything – chicken, pork, fish – and the dish always turns out good. I think it is largely because of the smoked paprika that I added to the spice blend. This lends smokiness and in a way, sweetness, to the food.

Having said that, this recipe will work with any combination of your favorite spices and herbs. 

And here’s how to cook this.

First, spatchcock the chicken. For step-by-step pictorial guide on how to do this, see this post. Once the chicken has been spatchcocked, set it aside.

In a bowl, combine the salt, black pepper and spices. 

Add 3-4 teaspoons of this rub to the softened butter.

Mix until well-combined.

Gently run your fingers under the skin of the chicken to separate the skin from the flesh. Stuff with the butter/spice mixture, using your fingers to press on the skin to distribute the butter more evenly. Be gentle because you don’t want to tear the skin.

Rub the remaining butter all over the chicken.

Sprinkle more spice rub over the entire chicken.

Pat it down with your fingers.

Place the chicken on a roasting tray – I prefer a tray with a wire rack insert because I don’t have to flip the chicken, but if you do not have one, you can use a normal roasting tray but cook the chicken breast-side down and turning it breast-side up half way through.

Roast the chicken at 200°C for about 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. If you like, you can also broil the chicken (top element only) for an extra 5-10 minutes after the chicken has been cooked to further brown and crisp the skin. Keep an eye on the chicken if you are doing this though.

Once the chicken is done, remove from the oven and tent it with aluminium foil for 10 minutes to let the meat rest and the juices to redistribute.

Cut and serve. the chicken with accompaniments of your choice!

Roasted Chicken With Paprika Spice Rub

2016-01-26 06:58:02

Serves 4

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Ingredients

1. 1 chicken (about 1.2 - 1.5kg)
2. 1/3 cup (80g) unsalted butter, softened

For the spice mix

1. 3 tablespoons garlic powder
2. 3 tablespoons onion powder
3. 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
4. 1 teaspoon mustard powder
5. 1 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
6. 2 teaspoons salt
7. 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Spatchcock the chicken. Once the chicken has been spatchcocked, set it aside.
2. In a bowl, combine the salt, black pepper and spices.
3. Add 3-4 teaspoons of this rub to the softened butter. Mix until well-combined.
4. Gently run your fingers under the skin of the chicken to separate the skin from the flesh. Stuff with the butter/spice mixture, using your fingers to press on the skin to distribute the butter more evenly. Be gentle because you don’t want to tear the skin.
5. Rub the remaining butter all over the chicken.
6. Sprinkle more spice rub over the entire chicken.
7. Pat it down with your fingers.
8. Place the chicken on a roasting tray – I prefer a tray with a wire rack insert because I don’t have to flip the chicken, but if you do not have one, you can use a normal roasting tray but cook the chicken breast-side down and turning it breast-side up half way through.
9. Roast the chicken at 200°C for about 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. If you like, you can also broil the chicken (top element only) for an extra 5-10 minutes after the chicken has been cooked to further brown and crisp the skin. Keep an eye on the chicken if you are doing this though.
10. Once the chicken is done, remove from the oven and tent it with aluminium foil for 10 minutes to let the meat rest and the juices to redistribute.
11. Cut and serve. the chicken with accompaniments of your choice!

By Diana Gale

The Domestic Goddess Wannabe http://thedomesticgoddesswannabe.com/

I am also submitting this post to Cook and Celebrate: CNY2016, which I am hosting together with Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Yen from Eat Your Heart Out.

Have you cooked or baked something for the up-coming Chinese New Year? If so do share your creations with us! Please note that your post has to be a current post (ie, posted in the months of January & February 2016) and remember to link it back to us: Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Yen from GoodyFoodies and Diana from The Domestic Goddess Wannabe. Happy cooking and baking folks! 🙂