Roast Chicken (2)

I love roasting chicken, and all the leftovers that come with as well.  I was reading this book, a cooking handbook where they give tips and hints on different ways of cooking and in it was that if you slip a few slices of lemon under the skin, the flesh remains moist and juicy. and also tenderises it.  As for the spice rub, I decided to give the old lonumirus a little twist. Instead of making the usual Maldivian chilli paste, lonumirus, I decided to do a little experiment. Hubby loved it. As for my son, he didn't notice the chili as I removed the skin for him so it was quite mild for him. 

900g or 1 kg chicken., with skin on
1 onion,
8 cloves garlic
8 curry leaves
about 6-7 thin slices of lemon ( if you do not have lemon, try lime)
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp toasted and freshly ground cumin.
Salt
2  tbsps butter/ margarine or vegetable spread

1. Pat your chicken dry, remove the neck and snip the wing tips. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper. Using a fork, give a few pricks to the chicken.   Season well with salt. ( about 1 tsp) in side and outside

2. Place onions, garlic and curry leaves in a motor and pestle or processor and puree it well.  Using a teaspoon spoon a few teaspoons between the skin and flesh on the breast piece and thigh pieces and massage it in so its evenly distributed. The rest of it rubs it all over the chicken, especially in to the cavity.

3. Leave the chicken for an hour to absorb the flavour or you can continue. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Set aside.  Mix the ground spices together in a small bowl with a little salt( about 1/2 tsp . 

4. Take the lemon slices gently lift the skin on the breast piece,  and slip in two slices,  the next two  on each thigh, one on each thigh.  And the remaining slice, placed inside the cavity.  You can tie the legs if you like.

5. Using a pastry brush or your fingers, brush the melted butter all over the chicken.  Then with a spoon, sprinkle the spice mix all over the chicken, even it out with your fingers, making sure all the area is covered.

6. Preheat oven to about 250  degrees Celsius. Line a large roasting tray with foil, easier to clean, place your chicken, and place inside the oven. 

7. Baste, that is brush with the liquid that's coming out from the chicken, every now and then but leave it alone at the last 20 minutes to get a nice crispy skin. Reduce the temperature to somewhere between 200 degrees Celsius after about 30 minutes of cooking time.  Test if done by jabbing a sharp knife into the chicken's thigh and if no juices run out then it is done. Don't over-roast as the meat will toughen up and become dry.

8. Take the chicken out, and rest on a chopping block with foil on top for about 20 minutes before carving. 

Enjoy!!!