Wednesday, 11 January 2017

Spicy Lemon Roast Chicken with Gravy.



Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

The gravy is the best thing ever!

And, it all starts with the marinade and chicken.
The marinade has lots of freshly squeezed lemon juice in it which makes all the difference to the gravy at the end. And the chicken! We always like to use chicken on the bone as the bones give extra flavour to the gravy.

In our house, we're not that fussy about our roast dinner side dishes. Except one. There must be mashed potatoes. This time, we used this recipe and went really heavy on the mature Cheddar and black pepper which made all the difference.
Other than the compulsory mash, for this roast, we went with steamed carrots. If they're not overcooked, they are one of my favourite things to eat with plenty of salt and pepper. We also did some buttered spinach and peas with plenty of lemon. Got to fit those greens in!
In all honesty, as long as the gravy was there, I really didn't care what I was eating. This gravy is one of my favourites and I really hope you give it a go too. Save this recipe for your next Sunday roast or if you're random like us, enjoy it for a special weeknight dinner.

Roast Chicken, previously: my mum's roast chicken // baked tandoori chicken legs // roast chicken with olives and grapes // masala chicken and potatoes

A Simple List of Ingredients:

For the Chicken Marinade:
1. Lemons
2. Salt
3. Red Chilli Powder
4. Ground Coriander
5. Ground Cumin
6. Garam Masala
7. Ground Turmeric
8. Tandoori Masala
9. Dried Fenugreek
10. Plain Yoghurt
11. Large Chicken Pieces, on the bone

For Roasting the Chicken:
1. Vegetable Oil
2. Cumin Seeds
3. Kashmiri Chilli Powder
4. Water

For the Gravy:
1. Roasting Juices from the Chicken
2. Cornflour
3. Water

Bismillah, let's begin!

We'll start by mixing the marinade together in a bowl.

Take 3 large Lemons. More, if they're not that juicy. It's the lemon that makes this recipe so good.

Juice the lemons into the bowl.

Now, the spices!

First, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Salt.

1 level teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

You can add more or less, if you like.

1 heaped teaspoon Ground Coriander


1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin


For the garam masala, we always use our house blend. 


Add in 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala.

1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric


2 heaped teaspoons Tandoori Masala


Next, dried fenugreek (methi).


Add in 1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek.


And, that's our spices done.


Grab a whisk and mix everything up.

Next, plain yoghurt. You can also use Greek yoghurt.


Dollop in 4 heaped tablespoons Plain Yoghurt.


Stir that in too. The marinade is on the looser side which is just fine.

Next, the chicken. I used 1kg (2 pounds) Large Chicken Pieces, on the bone. There were 3 breasts, 3 legs and 3 necks. The necks are optional but add real flavour to the gravy. You can use any part of the chicken but it's best on the bone.


Slit the meat so that the flavour gets in better.


Pour on all of the marinade.

Rub and stir the marinade in.


Cover and set the chicken aside to marinade. I left mine overnight which I think is best. But you can get away with leaving it for a few hours. 


To cook, heat the oven to 220C. If the chicken is in the fridge, take it out at least 30 minutes before cooking.

Place the chicken pieces along with all their marinade into a roasting tin lined with foil.


Drizzle the chicken with a few tablespoons Vegetable Oil.


Sprinkle over 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds.


And, 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder.


Now, we can roast our chicken!


Cover the tin with foil and place into the oven at 220C.

Bake for 30 minutes.


Then, uncover.


And, pour in 400ml Water. This will help us get more liquid for our gravy.


Cover the chicken again. Bake for another 30 minutes but this time, at 200C.


Once the chicken is fully cooked through, we can drain out the liquid.


Pour the roasting juices into a saucepan.


Cover the chicken up and pop it back into a 150C oven for a final 10 minutes.


For the gravy, bring the roasting juices to a boil.


In a bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon Cornflour with a few tablespoons of Water until smooth.


Pour it in.


Stir over a high heat until the mixture thickens and comes back to the boil.


Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed. Set aside until later.


On the side, you can serve anything. I did Steamed Carrots with Salt and Pepper.

Just steam chopped carrots until just cooked and toss with salt and pepper.


I also made Buttered Spinach and Peas with Lemon. Simply fry some frozen peas in a knob of butter for a few minutes.


Add in a handful of baby spinach.


Cover until the spinach wilts before squeezing in lemon juice and seasoning with plenty of salt and pepper.


In our house, a roast wouldn't be a roast without mashed potatoes.


We used our favourite recipe and went very heavy on the mature Cheddar and black pepper. So good!


Once everything is ready, serve up!


Serve the chicken up with plenty more lemon.


And of course, all the side dishes!


Mashed Potatoes.


Buttered Spinach and Peas with Lemon.


Steamed Carrots with Salt and Pepper.


And of course, the gravy!


That gravy is the best!!


I love this recipe because of the lemon. The lemon juice in the marinade makes all the difference to the chicken and of course, the gravy. The gravy is the best drizzled (or drowned?) over everything on the plate. The best roast chicken lunch!

Spicy Lemon Roast Chicken with Gravy.

Prep Time: About 15 minutes + few hours or overnight, to marinade.
Bake Time: About 1 hour + 10 minutes.
Serves: About 6 people.

Ingredients

For the Roast Chicken Marinade
Juice of 3 large Lemons
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1 level teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
1 heaped teaspoon Ground Coriander
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
1/4 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
2 heaped teaspoons Tandoori Masala
1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek (Methi)
4 heaped tablespoons Plain Yoghurt
1kg (2 pounds) Large Chicken Pieces, on the bone and slit - we used 3 Breasts + 3 Legs + 3 Necks

For Roasting the Chicken:
Few tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
400ml Water

For the Gravy
The Roasting Juices from the roast chicken
1 tablespoon Cornflour
Few tablespoons Water

On the Side
Buttered Spinach and Peas with Lemon
Steamed Carrots with Salt and Pepper

Marinade the roast chicken:
Place all the marinade ingredients except the chicken into a bowl. Mix well then add to the chicken and rub in. Cover the bowl and let the chicken marinade for at least a few hours or overnight. I highly recommend marinading the chicken overnight.

To roast the chicken:
If the chicken has been in the fridge, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before roasting. Heat the oven to 220C and line a roasting tin with foil.

Place the chicken along with all the marinade into the tin. Drizzle with the vegetable oil. Sprinkle on the cumin seeds and Kashmiri red chilli powder.

Tightly cover the tin with foil and bake the chicken for 30 minutes. Then, uncover and pour in 400ml water. Turn the oven down to 200C. Cover the chicken with foil again and bake for another 30 minutes or until it's fully cooked through.

To make the gravy:
Uncover the chicken and drain its roasting juices into a saucepan. Cover the chicken and pop it back into the oven at 150C for 10 minutes.

Place the roasting juices over a high heat and bring to the boil. Stir the cornflour and water together in a small bowl until smooth. Pour this mixture into the juices and stir well. Boil until the gravy has thickened. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.

To make the Buttered Spinach and Peas with Lemon:
Melt a knob of butter in a saucepan. Add a handful of frozen peas and stir-fry for a minute or two. Add a handful of baby spinach and cover with a lid. Once the spinach has wilted, uncover and season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon.

To make the Mashed Potatoes:
We used our favourite recipe with plenty of mature Cheddar and pepper.

To make the Steamed Carrots with Salt and Pepper:
Steam chopped carrots until just cooked. Toss with salt and pepper.

Serve:
Serve the chicken with plenty of the gravy and side dishes. Enjoy!

Your Photos:

This Time One Year Ago:
keema curry with green beans and jalapenos.

This Time Two Years Ago:
mini cherry tomato no-pastry quiches.

This Time Three Years Ago:
gingerbread pancakes.

This Time Four Years Ago:
homemade pizza.

Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your roast chicken!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!


Spice Enthusiast
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