Black Pepper And Lime Roast Chicken With Gravy



I love making roast chicken.  The best part of roast is leftovers which I use to make other dishes for the week.
 School is busy these days, my little guy has had English week, and Dhivehi week activities.  Plus he has started attending swimming classes. Here in Maldives kids don't go into a swimming pool to take swimming lessons, the instructors take them to the beach or rather the swimming track where the water is not that shallow.
Anyway,  hope you like my black pepper and lime roast chicken, even my little guy who isn't a big chicken fan commented "Today's chicken tastes good".

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Recipe :  Black Pepper and Lime Roast Chicken with Gravy

For the roast :

1400 chicken
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1 lime
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 garlic cloves grated finely or pureed
generous pinch or two of  salt ( depends on the type of salt you use, I used fine table salt)
2 tbsp olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together and set aside while you prepare the chicken.
  
Clean the chicken, I like my roast with the skin on, if you like you can remove the skin. Prick the skin all over with a toothpick.   Pat dry with kitchen paper.

Rub the prepared marinade all over the chicken and also inside the cavity.

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5.

Place the chicken in the roasting tray and pop in the oven.   If you are roasting without the skin cover the tray loosely with foil and place inside the oven.

Roast at Gas mark 5 for 20 minutes. Then remove, and brush the chicken with the juices that is starting to appear on the roasting tray.  Place it back in the oven reduce the oven temperature to gas mark 3 and roast for another 45 minutes.  Keep basting every 20 minutes.

Note for the chicken, which is being roasted without the skin, remove the foil after 30 minutes and cook at Gas mark 3 till nicely golden all over. Don't let the meat dry out. 

After 45 minutes,  check the chicken and pierce the skin of the joint between the thigh and drumstick to see if there is any pinkness and if the juices run clear.  Remove and place the chicken over a rack over the roasting tin covered with a piece of foil for about 15 minutes.

Remove chicken and wire rack after 15 minutes and place on chopping board to carve or on your serving dish.

Remove most of the oil, leaving just about 1 tbsp of oil in the tray. Now it is time to make the gravy:

For the gravy you will need :

1 tbsp oil left in the tray
1 tsp butter
1 small onion finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp plain flour
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
juice and zest of 1 lime
2 cups hot  water + 1 chicken stock cube dissolved into it ( or use 2 cups chicken stock)
salt

Place the roasting tin on the stovetop over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the onions and garlic and saute' till they soften.  Add chilli flakes and pepper.

Sprinkle in the flour and stir quickly till the flour mixture turns a light brown.

 Pour the hot water and stock cube mixture and whisk well so there aren't any lumps. Let the mixture come to a bubble,  whisking all the time. Taste and add salt if needed.

Stir in lime zest ( you will get a lovely smell when it hits the hot  gravy) and squeeze the lime juice in.

Once the gravy is thick, switch it off and pour it into a gravy boat or serving bowl and serve alongside the chicken.  Roast potatoes and fresh or cooked greens would go well with this or a nice rice pilaf...































Comments

  1. Love the combination of pepper and lime and thyme with this chicken!

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  2. Great flavor of roasted chicken...I love the citrus in it.
    Hope you are having a great week Nammi :)

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  3. love the combination... absolutely lipsmacking...

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  4. Hi Nammi,
    I can see how flavourful your roast chicken is! Looks so delicious!

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  5. This is like a X'mas dinner :-) The chicken looks perfectly roasted, Nammi.

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  6. wish my family would eat it love having leftovers

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  7. Delicious chicken! simple spices but the wonderful flavors...

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  8. What's the dhivehi name of thyme? And where can we find it?

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