Here I go again with the roast chicken recipes. Apparently, once I learned how to roast a chicken (and got my handy-dandy meat thermometer) it became one of my favorite dishes to make.
Now I appear to be stashing poultry in my sleep. The other night I found a whole, locally grown chicken hiding in my freezer that I have no recollection of buying. How could I put it to good use? I turned to my trusty cookbook shelf for an answer.
I have a ton of cookbooks, but occasionally one comes along that I really bond with. Cookbooks are like people – some have personalities that you instantly meld with, while others just seem to remain acquaintances. Monica Bhide’s newest book, Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen, is one of my close cookbook friends.
I flipped through the book until I found a recipe for Whole Roast Chicken with Fenugreek. I have a big bag of dried fenugreek leaves in my cupboard and I’d been curious to see what they taste like, so this was perfect! I could use up this mystery spice and get dinner on the table at the same time. I love efficiency.
After making this chicken, I have to say I’m a fenugreek fan. I’d never tasted anything quite like it before. This recipe produced a crispy, perfectly roasted bird, and the fenugreek added a level of herby flavor that was completely new to me. The skin had a touch of heat from the chili flake, and the meat was so tender and juicy that it almost made me weep. Seriously.
This recipe requires that you smother your chicken in butter, which always promises a decadent dish – so I guess it’s no surprise that my husband and I devoured it in 15 minutes flat. I just need to remember to save my cholesterol test for next month!
Here’s a tip: bringing the chicken to almost room temperature and drying it fully with a paper towel will make rubbing it with softened butter much easier. Butter does not like to stick to a cold, wet bird. Trust me on this – you’ll get butter everywhere but where you want it.
I’m positive you’ll love this roast chicken as much as I did. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think!
Svādiṣṭ khānā!
Whole Roast Chicken with Fenugreek
Serves four to six people
Ingredients:
- One 3-4 pound whole chicken, left at room temperature for an hour
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
- 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves, crushed
- Melted butter for basting
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 450°F.
- Remove chicken giblets and cut off any excess fat.
- Rinse the chicken with warm water and pat it dry – do this very well or the moisture will produce steam when you roast it!
- Salt and pepper the inside cavity of the chicken, then place the chicken on a rack in a large roasting pan.
- In a small bowl, combine butter, salt, pepper, chili flakes and fenugreek leaves.
- Rub this mixture liberally all over the chicken, making sure you work your fingers under the skin as well.
- Roast the chicken, breast side down, for 20-30 minutes or until the skin begins to brown.
- Baste the bird and turn it breast-side up.
- Baste the breast, which should be starting to brown. Cook for five minutes.
- Baste again and now reduce the temperature to 325°F. Roast for another 45-55 minutes, until the juices run clear. For a very well-browned chicken, you can place it under a hot broiler for a few minutes before taking it out of the oven.
- Remove chicken from the oven and place on a platter. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.
- If you wish, drizzle the pan juices over the carved chicken.
- Dream of roast chicken every night for the next week.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
This is fantastic! Thanks so much for taking the time to cook from Modern Spice and to post your results. i am so honored.
Thanks!
monica
I’m so glad you like it!
I’ve now put fenugreek on my tragically long list of spices I need to learn how to use properly.
I highly recommend it! Your house will smell like maple syrup for weeks.
I love your pictures. I cannot wait to try this. I got a card from an artist’s wife, who teaches Indian cooking classes. Maybe I’ll learn something neat.
Thank you, Roxanne! I love Indian cooking – so many new flavors. It really brightened up my cooking life.
And here I thought fenugreek was a licorice-type flavor. Maple syrup?? I love Monica, but have to say my constant companion book is much more basic–Joy of Cooking. I’m on my third, having totally destroyed two already. The one I have now is not my favorite, but nevertheless the covers are falling off. Why can’t publishers realize that well-loved cookbooks have to be built like, well I was going to say tanks, but cuisinearts is more appropriate?
Aaaah, that is a very good question. Maybe they should try making them out of Tyvek.
I’m really excited to try this! Thanks!
Please report back and let me know what you think!
Wow this chicken recipe was amazing. what do you and your husband pair it with? I paired it with some green beans and mashed potaters.