Tips for the perfect roast chicken

Roast chicken is a wholesome and one-pan dish, which also looks lovely on the table and so can be made for parties. Depending on the marinade you choose to go with, it can be cooked in a dozen different flavours — from Western, Mediterranean and fusion to Indian and several others.

But no matter what flavours you choose, the end result — the look and juiciness — of the chicken should always remain the same.

It’d be good to invest in a meat thermometer if you don’t have one already. So here goes: how to make a perfectly cooked and evenly browned roast chicken. While there are different ways to achieve the desired results, here is a quick roasting method I use, on high heat.

• Make sure the chicken is a reasonably large one. (A 1.5 to 2 kg bird should be good.)
• Ensure the dressed bird is with its skin on.
• Wipe the chicken using paper towels to ensure it is completely dry.
• Marinate the chicken generously with butter, salt, pepper, garlic and herbs as well as spices of your choice. 100 gm of butter per chicken is a good measure. Let it sit with the marinade for at least an hour.
• Pre-heat the oven to 230 degrees C and place chicken on a non-stick roasting pan or foil. (You could even keep it on a bed of thickly sliced round onions.) Now, cook the bird uncovered for 10–15 minutes until the skin starts crisping and browning slightly on the top.
• Reduce the oven heat to 175 degrees C and cook for another 20 minutes per 450 gr.
• You know the chicken is done when the temperature of the inner thighs read 165 degrees C.
• I prefer not to stuff the chicken, but throwing in some lemons and herbs in the cavity will only add to the flavour of the meal. Half an hour into the cooking, I also add vegetables of my choice of vegetables, some sliced onions and potatoes to make it a one-pan meal.
• With the left over jus, you can make delicious gravy by straining the left over sauces. Or cook some flour and chicken stock with the left overs in the pan.

(Next time, the slow roasting method.)

Chicken 65

Ingredients

• Chicken, boneless: 1 kg
• Ginger-garlic paste: 30 gms
• Curd: 300 gms
• Green chilli: 100 gms
• Curry leaves: 50 gms
• Lemon juice: 6-8
• Eggs: 2
• Cooking oil: 500 ml
• Salt to taste
• White pepper: 20 gms
• Kashmir chilli pods: 75 gms
• Corn flour: 50 gms
• Dhaniya powder: 20 gms
• Jeera powder: 15 gms
• Maida: 250 gms
• Vinegar: 3 tbsp
• Tomato sauce: 50 gms
• Chilli sauce: 30 gms

Method:

• Clean and wash the chicken.
• Cut into pieces of 20 gms each.
• Add ginger garlic paste, salt, white pepper powder, kashmiri chilli powder, dhania — jeera powder, egg, maida and cornflour. (Beetroot juice can be optional for colour). Mix thoroughly.
• Deep fry the above marinated chicken and keep the pakodas aside.
• Take a non-stick pan add oil, ginger garlic paste, green chilli, curry leaves, red chilli powder, tomato sauce, curd, lemon and toss the above chicken pakodas in this tempering and finish with chopped coriander.
• Serve it hot with garnished fried curry leaves and slit green chillies.

Traditional aloo chaat

Ingredients

• Peeled, cubed, and boiled potato: 500 gms
• Ghee
• Salt to taste
• Red chilli powder: 10 gms
• Roasted cumin powder: 10 gms
• Chaat masala powder: 10 gms
• Lemon juice: 2
• Coriander chutney: 3 tbsp
• Tamarind chutney 3 tbsp
• Whisked curd: 50 gms with 1 tsp sugar
• Thin sev: 20 gms
• Pomegranate seeds: 2 tbsp
• Fresh coriander chopped: 5 gms

Method

• In a non-stick pan, heat some ghee. Add potatoes to the hot ghee and fry them until they are golden brown.
• Next, drain the excess ghee and put it in a bowl. Add some red chilli powder, chaat masala, roasted cumin powder, salt, and some lemon juice to the potatoes and mix them well.
• Transfer these potatoes into a large bowl.
• Top the potatoes with some tamarind chutney, coriander chutney, curd, pomegranate seeds, and some freshly chopped coriander leaves.
• Sprinkle sev on top.
• Serve the dish immediately.

Tip: The cumin should be roasted well and then powdered to give the right deep brown colour and the aroma.