I actually call it roasted chicken š you know, it just sounds better:āhey whatās for dinnerā and you reply āroasted chicken with all the trimmingsā š buuut technically weāre not roasting here weāre baking the chicken! š
Iāve been wanting to share this post for a while. Over the years Iāve picked up quite a few tricks on how to bake a perfectly moist, melt in your mouth, deliciously tender chicken. This actually goes for all birds; duck, turkey, pigeon (I hear it tastes just like chicken??) and itās all quite simple. Nothing complicated or hard, just a few steps and youāll have the most amazing roasted/baked bird ever š
It all starts with the preparation:
- This is the most Ā importantĀ step of baking a chicken. Wash chicken, scrubbing it well. Prepare a marinate to place the chicken in for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight in the fridge. Marinate must include lemon juice or vinegar and then any herbs and spices: salt, pepper, cinnamon, paprika etc.
- Place chicken in sauce, cover and marinate in the fridge.
- Remove chicken from sauce and rinse again, making sure to clean out the insides too. Pat dry using kitchen towels, this is an important step because it makes it easier to season the chicken.
- Cut a garlic clove in half and rub them cut side down all over the chicken. Do the same with lemons, making sure to rub the chicken well. Pop the garlics and lemons inside the chickens cavity. Sprinkle some salt and pepper inside the chicken too then all over the outside.
- Mash 1/2 to 1 stick of butter (50 ā 100gms, according to size of chicken) with spices and herbs, salt, pepper, cinnamon, paprika, rosemary or anything you have in stock really. It all works š.
- Carefully lift up the skin of the chicken breasts and spread the butter inside under the skin directly onto the breasts, rub the top of the chicken with your hands so the butter spreads underneath the skin. Do this under the leg and thigh skins too but make sure to rub most on the breasts because thats where it will dry out the most.
- Stuff the chicken with more lemons, fresh herbs, garlic etc and tie the legs together using kitchen string or aluminum foil ( to prevent everything from falling out) carefully fold the wings up and under the breasts.
- Prepare a baking tray with vegetables, potatoes, onions, carrots, tomatoes etc drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken on top of the vegetables so its not touching the tray. Chicken should be about an inch above the tray.
- Bake chicken at about 200 ā 220C for an hour give or take 15 minutes. Flip chicken over about half way into cooking time. If chicken starts to brown too much but its still not fully cooked then cover it loosely with aluminum foil and continue baking.
- Once removed from oven, cover loosely with foil for a few minutes before serving so the juices can come together.
- Serve with fresh bread and salad, itās the best!
Prepare to be stolen away into a buttery and delicious, perfectly baked chicken dream šš
