Growing up on a farm, we took the deliciousness of chicken for granted. From other people we knew that our mother made the best "roast chicken." She made these and gave them as gifts to our neighbours. The "stew fowl with Chinese black mushrooms,"redolent with rum and spicy ginger had gravy that made you eat bowl after bowl of white rice. Barbecued chicken quarters on an open grill with Dad's special sauce was finger-licking before the Colonel's chicken came to Trinidad. Flaked chicken breasts were stuffed in Aunty's puffs; or finely stripped in corn soup. And of course, we ate every part of the chicken - feet, gizzards, liver and bishop's nose. And so, we were spoiled for the mass processed chicken of the supermarkets. Well, the good news is that I have re-connected with a small grower in Santa Cruz, whose chicken bones have heft and meat that's firm and flavourful.
Chinese style roasted chicken was marinated with ginger, garlic and soy sauce. I first used balsamic vinegar and rosemary while on vacation in London, and there was no soy sauce in the flat. You can actually leave the soy out of this recipe; alternatively you can use more soy sauce and leave the rosemary out. I think a little vinegar - red wine, balsamic or any other flavour you choose - enhances this meat.
Roasting chicken, 4 to 6 pounds
Rosemary, two tablespoons of dried leaves (or one of fresh)
Brown sugar, three tablespoons
Balsamic vinegar, half cup
Soy sauce, two tablespoons
Salt, two teaspoons
Ginger, one inch piece, minced
Garlic, three cloves, minced
Hot pepper, small piece minced (optional)
Thaw chicken and season the night before. Mix all seasonings together and use to coat the cavity, as well as stuffing some under the skin in the space between the thigh and the breast. My mother used to make small incisions so that the seasonings would seep under the skin.
After at least four to five hours or marinating, heat oven to 350 degrees F (or 175 C). Put chicken breast up in your baking dish (put aside the seasonings). Surround with small potatoes if you like. Bake for half hour breast up. Then turn the chicken over with its back up, pour the remaining seasonings over the back so that the legs and wings are coated.
Bake for another 90 minutes (total cooking time is two hours). Use the gravy in the pan to baste the chicken a couple times in the last half hour.
(If you are cooking two or three chickens, it is better to bake them all in one dish. That way, they all share the same seasonings.)
Pour off gravy and allow the chicken to cool before cutting. Use some of the fat from your dripping sauce to cook the green beans!
Chinese style roasted chicken was marinated with ginger, garlic and soy sauce. I first used balsamic vinegar and rosemary while on vacation in London, and there was no soy sauce in the flat. You can actually leave the soy out of this recipe; alternatively you can use more soy sauce and leave the rosemary out. I think a little vinegar - red wine, balsamic or any other flavour you choose - enhances this meat.
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| Roast chicken with potatoes |
Roasting chicken, 4 to 6 pounds
Rosemary, two tablespoons of dried leaves (or one of fresh)
Brown sugar, three tablespoons
Balsamic vinegar, half cup
Soy sauce, two tablespoons
Salt, two teaspoons
Ginger, one inch piece, minced
Garlic, three cloves, minced
Hot pepper, small piece minced (optional)
Thaw chicken and season the night before. Mix all seasonings together and use to coat the cavity, as well as stuffing some under the skin in the space between the thigh and the breast. My mother used to make small incisions so that the seasonings would seep under the skin.
After at least four to five hours or marinating, heat oven to 350 degrees F (or 175 C). Put chicken breast up in your baking dish (put aside the seasonings). Surround with small potatoes if you like. Bake for half hour breast up. Then turn the chicken over with its back up, pour the remaining seasonings over the back so that the legs and wings are coated.
Bake for another 90 minutes (total cooking time is two hours). Use the gravy in the pan to baste the chicken a couple times in the last half hour.
(If you are cooking two or three chickens, it is better to bake them all in one dish. That way, they all share the same seasonings.)
Pour off gravy and allow the chicken to cool before cutting. Use some of the fat from your dripping sauce to cook the green beans!
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| Bodi fried with garlic and olive oil, on the side! |
Oh my mouth is watering. Just lovely. Have a great week.
ReplyDeletePS I expect you have been busy but it would be great if you followed Carole's Chatter back.