Let's just say that I don't often roast a whole chicken. Maybe because I didn't grow up eating or seeing them around. You see all kinds of whole fish at the supermarkets in Japan, but never whole birds or other whole animals. So normally I go for a whole fish instead of a whole bird. But I was watching Jamie Oliver making this on You Tube the other day, and Jamie says it's "the best thing he's ever put in his mouth."
It's no secret that I have been a long time fan of his cooking. I love his cooking. It fits my style. I love his rustic and enthusiastic approach. He made this Empire Chicken in the video outdoors in his usual rustic way. I was just super excited to make it after seeing how it turned out.
I've been trying to decide what to do with three home-grown chickens sent my way from my brother-in-law's farm in my big freezer. Now I had some inspiration! I thawed one of them out and soaked it in a brine. Jamie doesn't brine his, but I thought it couldn't hurt. Brining is like taking a long bath with herbs.
I ended up making this roast chicken twice in the same week because it was so much fun and so good. The first time I made it, Jamie was right. It was out of this world crazy, amazing, insane $%^* gooood! It was also so much fun using all kinds of Indian spices.
The second time, I hosted a dinner party revolving around this chicken. I had to share my excitement and joy over this tasty bird with some of my regular dinner buddies.
This roast chicken is as good as Jamie says. I am no longer intimidated by cooking a whole bird. Highly recommended trying it, especially if you like Indian spices.
Note: I did brine my chicken over night in a bowl of water, 5 all spices, 5 cloves, 10 pepper cones, 2 bay leaves and 1/2 cup salt.
Roasted Veggies on the side:
Season the carrots, potatoes (pre-boiled) and parsnips with salt, pepper, olive oil and chopped garlic. Roast them in oven at 450 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
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