Simple Roast Chicken

Sometimes you just feel like going back to basics. I can enjoy new dishes with interesting ingredients and to fuss in the kitchen as well as the next person. But sometimes you get a craving for one of those simple recipes that are comfort foods. Roast chicken is one such dish. Chicken can be indifferent, the quintessential “rubber chicken” which we all dread or sublime, with crisped skin and the aroma fills the house and sings to you, take a bite, take a bite.

I find that this easy recipe is still one of my favorites. The spices are readily available in your house and there is nothing exotic in it. However, the way you prepare the chicken is the trick to it. It’s easy but results in a crispy skin and is succulent.

You clean the chicken and pat it dry (yes, please do so the spices stick properly and the skin crisps and doesn’t taste somewhat soggy). Put in the bottom of a heavy roaster, yup right into the pan, oil, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, rosemary and a little morroccan paprika in oil if you have it. If not, just be more generous with regular paprika. I use latex gloves (or you can use clean hands) and rub the spices into the oil till you have a thickish mixture.

Don’t be put off by this, simply place the chicken skin down in the pan, rub it in the oil/spice mix till coated and rub the additional mix on the underside of the chicken. Make sure your chicken is skin side down for the roasting.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and when hot, put the chicken in the oven for 40 minutes skin down and remove from oven and flip chicken skin side up, baste with juices in pan and return to oven for an additional 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and the skin should be crisped and the chicken perfectly cooked.

This is an excellent dish for Friday night dinner. Dig in!

Simple Roast Chicken

6-8 pieces of uncooked chicken (I prefer bottoms but you can use tops or a whole chicken), cleaned and patted dry with paper towels

7-8 tablespoons of canola or other vegetable oil

3 teaspoons sweet paprika

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

2 teaspoons Morroccan paprika (paprika in oil) – if you don’t have it, add regular paprika

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Take a roaster or large pan with deep bottom and pour the oil directly into the bottom of the pan. Shake all the spices right into the oil and with clean hands or I wear latex gloves, combine the oil and spices right in the pan.

Take the cleaned, dried chicken pieces and swirl them through the oil/spice mixture making sure to coat them on the bottom and the top. If using a whole chicken, simply rub coating over all and cook the same way as the parts. Lay the chicken parts skin side down.

Put the chicken into the hot oven for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, flip chicken skin side up and baste and return to oven for an additional 40 minutes. Remove from oven and the skin should be crisped and it should be perfectly cooked. Enjoy!