Sundays growing up in Kentucky meant there was usually a chicken dinner of some sort going to be served! It could be fried chicken, chicken and dumplings or a good roasted chicken! I have made many a chicken in my day, I like to play with spice mixtures and I think a chicken is the perfect vehicle to do that. I also like to stuff with different ingredients to see what flavor really shines. I love using oranges, lemons, onions and herbs, to me these ingredients just impart so much flavor. I also like using a whole bird, always cheaper and if you have some people who like white meat and some that like dark, you are set! This particular spice rub was at first a little out of my norm, but I love fennel seed, paprika, and coriander so I played with the mixture of spices and I think I came up with a winning dish! Also adding the potatoes just make it an easy meal, maybe have a salad and you are set with a one pan meal! I added the sour cream as an option, I Love this mixture on potatoes, but it does take the calories up a notch.
I hope you will try this dish, trust me it is really Good!
spice-rubbed roasted chicken
Ingredients
- 1 whole organic or good quality chicken
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon caraway
- 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Kosher salt/ fresh ground pepper, about a teaspoon each
- ½ cup good olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter, cold
- 4 medium size red skin potatoes
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 1 large lemon cut in 1/2
- 1 small onion cut in ½
- 2 tablespoons good sour cream ( optional )
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon ( optional )
Instructions
Wash, drain and pat dry whole chicken, remove parts from inside chicken, discard or use for stock
Mix coriander through salt/pepper in spice grinder, just a few pulses to mix and break up just brings out more flavor
Add the olive oil to ground spices and rub all over chicken making sure to get all sides
Lift skin being careful, place pats of butter under chicken skin, just around the breast area
Stuff the inside of the chicken with the rosemary, cut lemon and cut onion, tie legs together with kitchen string and tuck the wing tips, set bird in fridge uncovered for 4 to 6 hours, overnight is fine to
Preheat oven 425 degrees
Get at least a 12 to 14 inch Cast iron skillet or a le Creuset skillet works great as well, let chicken rest outside fridge for about 30 minutes before putting in oven
Cut potatoes in slices, not too thick and place them all around the chicken in pan, salt and pepper potatoes and drizzle with a little olive oil, there will be lots of juices from the chicken so potatoes will
Be so moist!
Roast chicken till juices run clear, usually about an hour and 15 minutes, potatoes will be tender at this point, take chicken out, let set for at least 20 minutes before carving, get a nice platter, carve chicken and set potatoes beside, if desired mix the sour cream and fresh tarragon together dollop over potatoes! enjoy!!