Spitted Roast Chicken Recipes

SPITTED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put a good square of butter and a little salt and pepper in the cavity of each chicken. Truss well and brush them with melted butter or oil seasoned to taste with salt, pepper and paprika. Spit them carefully. Run the spit through the backbone just above the tail and guide it to the top part of the breast at the base of the neck. This way you achieve a good balance.
• When your fire has burned down to a good bed of coals, make a ring of the briquets or charcoal leaving the center area directly under the chickens clear to catch the drippings. Arrange the spitted chickens over this space and roast, basting them frequently with equal parts of melted butter and white wine or dry vermouth. The cooking time will take from 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours, depending on the size of the birds.
• Plain roast chicken goes best with crisp sautéed potatoes and a fresh green salad with a minimum of dressing. As for wine, most people prefer a white, such as a Pinot Blanc from California, or a Meursault or Pouilly Fuissé from France.

CARIBBEAN-SPICED ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, rum, and brown sugar; set sauce aside.
• Mix together the cayenne pepper, clove, cinnamon, ginger, pepper, salt, and thyme leaves. Brush the chicken with oil, then coat with the spice mixture.
• Place in a roasting pan, and bake about 90 minutes, until the juices run clear or until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F. Baste the chicken with the reserved sauce every 20 minutes while it's cooking. Allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving.

SPICED ROAST CHICKEN WITH TANGY YOGURT SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare the chicken: Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, fresh garlic, coriander, paprika, cumin, oregano and granulated onion with half of the cilantro and half of the lemon juice; mix well. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and toss to evenly coat.
• Spread the seasoned chicken in a single layer on a large sheet pan and roast until golden and caramelized, about 20 minutes.
• While the chicken roasts, make the white sauce: In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, granulated garlic and granulated onion; season with salt and pepper, then mix well; set aside.
• Add the remaining cilantro and lemon juice to the roasted chicken and mix well, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Divide chicken, lettuce and tomatoes among 4 plates and drizzle with some of the white sauce. Serve with lemon wedges, plus pita and hot sauce, if using.

SWEET AND SPICY ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Quarter the lemon lengthwise, removing any seeds. Thinly slice crosswise into small wedges and add to small pot of boiling, salted water. Blanch for 2 minutes and drain. Reserve slices.
• In a saucepan, whisk together lemon juice, orange juice, oil, mustard, honey, salt, bay leaf, red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool.
• Put chicken in a bowl and add honey mixture. Add carrots, onion, dates, thyme and blanched lemon slices. Turn mixture several times to coat. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, but preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Transfer all ingredients, including marinade, to a sheet pan with a rim. Chicken should be skin side up. Roast until chicken is browned and cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes for breasts and 30 to 40 for legs and wings (remove the pieces as they are done cooking). When the chicken is done, give the carrot mixture in the pan a stir; if the pan looks dry add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Continue roasting the carrots until they are tender, about 7 to 12 minutes longer.
• Spoon carrots over chicken and top with cilantro, scallions and pistachio nuts.

ROAST SPICED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a small bowl, mix the first 5 ingredients. In a small saucepan, melt butter; stir in lemon juice, mustard, paprika and garlic salt. Keep warm., Sprinkle half the thyme mixture inside chicken; if desired, place quartered lemon inside chicken. Place chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Tuck wings under chicken; tie drumsticks together., Brush outside of chicken with 1/2 cup butter mixture; sprinkle with remaining thyme mixture. Roast 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with remaining butter mixture. (Cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly.), Roast until a thermometer inserted in thickest part of thigh reads 170°-175°, 30-60 minutes longer. Remove chicken from oven; tent with foil. Let stand 15 minutes before carving.

JUICY ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place chicken in a roasting pan, and season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Sprinkle inside and out with onion powder. Place 3 tablespoons margarine in the chicken cavity. Arrange dollops of the remaining margarine around the chicken's exterior. Cut the celery into 3 or 4 pieces, and place in the chicken cavity.
• Bake uncovered 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove from heat, and baste with melted margarine and drippings. Cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest about 30 minutes before serving.

SPICY RAPID ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Rinse chicken thoroughly inside and out under cold running water and remove all fat. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Put chicken into a small baking pan. Rub with olive oil. Mix the salt, pepper, oregano, basil, paprika and cayenne pepper together and sprinkle over chicken.
• Roast the chicken in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Lower the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and continue roasting to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), about 40 minutes more. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes and serve.