Senin, 27 Februari 2012
I LOVE those rotisserie chickens you get in the deli. I could probably eat a small one all by myself. Don't judge me.
But I’m not about paying someone to cook a chicken for me so I set out to recreate the flavor and super moist texture. That's how I came up with 'Chicken Scratch' and this roasting method. I researched online for herbs and spices commonly found in rotisserie chickens and formulated a recipe that I now use on chicken every single time I cook it.
While roasting the chicken I realized that my method produced a ton of beautiful pan juices. We have a tradition here in the South of cooking rice with pan juices and rendered fat and calling it Greasy Rice. There ain’t nothing healthy about it so if you’re not comfy cooking it the traditional way, see the notes below for a healthier version.
1 large roasting chicken
2-3 tablespoons Chicken Scratch (below)
4-5 celery stalks
4 cups pan drippings & chicken broth
2 cups uncooked long grain rice
¾ teaspoon salt*
Season chicken liberally with Chicken Scratch. Place celery stalks in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place chicken on top of celery (these serve to keep the chicken off the bottom of the pan and impart flavor for the pan drippings). Cover roasting pan with a tight-fitting lid or cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake at 250 degrees for 4 hours. Remove chicken and pour off all the pan juices; reserving liquid. Return the chicken uncovered to the oven and continue cooking for 2-3 more hours.
To prepare the Greasy Rice, pour pan drippings through a strainer into a 6-cup measuring pitcher. Add chicken stock (if necessary) until the liquid (not the fat – the fat will float on top of the broth) reaches 4 cups**. Pour contents into a 2-quart pan. Add salt and uncooked rice; bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking, covered, for 10 more minutes.
Cut chicken into individual pieces and serve with cooked rice.
*depending on how salty your broth is and how much of it you need to use, you may have to add more salt. Taste the broth after you’ve added the salt and before you’ve added the rice. You want it to be a little on the salty side so that there is enough salt to flavor the rice. If you need to add salt, feel free to substitute a chicken bullion cube.
**your pan drippings will include a lot of fat. It’s wicked good but also very unhealthy. If you’re not comfy using all the fat, skim some of it off but keep at least 4 tablespoons. It’s very important not to include the fat when measuring your liquid. Long grain rice needs an exact liquid to rice ratio of 2:1.
Chicken Scratch
This is a seasoning mix I came up with years ago that I use each and every time I cook chicken. For more recipes using Chicken Scratch, click here.
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper*
1 tablespoon onion powder
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. I keep mine in a large used spice container that still has its shaker top for easy use. Season chicken or other poultry LIBERALLY with mix (this is made with less than 25% salt so you can rock it out!)
*if you prefer a Southwest vibe, use chili powder instead
This is a seasoning mix I came up with years ago that I use each and every time I cook chicken. For more recipes using Chicken Scratch, click here.
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons paprika
3 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper*
1 tablespoon onion powder
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. I keep mine in a large used spice container that still has its shaker top for easy use. Season chicken or other poultry LIBERALLY with mix (this is made with less than 25% salt so you can rock it out!)
*if you prefer a Southwest vibe, use chili powder instead