I know it’s getting old, me saying I have found yet another ultimate roast chicken recipe, but really… I did. Even though nothing beats my Peruvian Roasted Chicken, this beauty combines all that is good in this world, and then it kicks it up a notch… or two.
We’re talking roasted chicken stuffed with lime, rosemary and chili pepper, placed on top of even more lime, chili and some halved garlic bulbs… lightly drizzled with olive oil and saffron steeped in white wine. The saffron infused wine and olive oil mingle with the pan juices, the rosemary, chili and garlic as it slowly roasts along the chicken, and is often basted with those juices.
Incredibly delicious and pretty to boot.
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (mine was 3 pounds)
2 limes, cut in half 2
2 garlic bulbs
few rosemary sprigs
2 red chilli peppers, cut in half lengthwise
2/3 cup (dry but fruity) white wine
pinch of saffron threads
salt & black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
Directions:
The chicken, the whole chicken and nothing but the chicken. If your family is bigger than mine, just roast two chickens at the same time.
You’ll need good-quality saffron for this to get that wonderful Mediterranean flavour. I used the (Dutch) Albert Heijn saffron a few times and it was bland and flavorless. Hardly gave any colour either.
Sprinkle a good pinch of saffron threads into the white wine and leave it be for a while.
Generously season its cavity with salt and pepper.
The recipe was originally with lemon, but I tried it with lime as well and somehow preferred the lime over the lemon recipe. We’ll be needing chili peppers as well. Wash those ingredients well before cutting them in half!
Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the chicken, then stuff the two halves in the cavity along with 2 sprigs rosemary and 1 piece of chili pepper.
Cut the garlic bulbs in half. They’ll support the chicken and keep it from cooking in its own fat while flavouring the drippings.
Place the garlic bulbs along with the remaining chili, more rosemary and other two lime halves in a roasting tray.
The saffron will have turned the wine beautifully golden by now. Pour it all over the chicken.
Drizzle the olive oil all over the chicken (and garlic bulbs).
I mainly use pink Himalayan crystal salt these days (it’s healthier for you) but regular (sea) salt will do just fine. Sprinkle over the chicken.
There. This bad boy’s all done.
See those juices? It’ll get really wicked once the chicken starts to add its own juices, and the rosemary and the roasted garlic will add even more flavour while the chili will release a little kick. I poured some of the cooking juices over the chicken at least every 15 minutes.
Roast the chicken in a preheated oven at 180Cº (355Fº) for an hour while often pouring the cooking juices over the chicken. Don’t mess around with undercooked chicken, people and keep a meat thermometer nearby. Core temperature measurements should read 165°F (74Cº). Let the chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes, during this time the core temperature will rise.
How can anything beat a juicy, golden roasted chicken?
Recipe adapted from Bill Granger’s ‘Italian Food’.
Roast Chicken, Saffron, Lime & Chilli | |||||||||
Ingredients |
2 limes, cut in half 2 2 garlic bulbs few rosemary sprigs 2 red chilli peppers, cut in half lengthwise 2/3 cup (dry but fruity) white wine pinch of saffron threads salt & black pepper 3 tbsp olive oil Directions |
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The origoinal recipe was with lemons, so you can use those as well. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the chicken, then stuff the two halves in the cavity along with 2 sprigs rosemary and 1 piece of chili pepper. Cut the garlic bulbs in half and place them, along with the chicken and the other lime halves, in a roasting tray and place the chicken on top. Pour the wine with saffron all over the chicken and drizzle the olive oil all over tthere as well (and some over the garlic bulbs). Season the chicken with sea salt. Roast the chicken in a preheated oven at 180Cº (355Fº) for an hour while often pouring the cooking juices over the chicken. Core temperature measurements should read 165°F (74Cº). Let the chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes, during this time the core temperature will rise. Meal type: |
Main Course, Chicken
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Servings: |
4 |
Copyright: |
© kayotickitchen.com |
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