Kanhym

Chicken - Crispy Skinned Roast Chicken & Onion Gravy

Serves 4 - 5
My mother used to rub the skin on roast pork with a mixture of seasoning and baking powder to make it crispy. I tried a variation of this method on chicken with excellent results. One gets an even crispier skin and leaner meat if you loosen the skin over the breast and thighs.

For more delicious and simple recipes visit the Ina Paarman website.

Once the chicken has been turned brush the skin with a little oil or chicken fat.

Braai Chops

Preheat oven to 200° and adjust oven rack to the lowest position. Make two short slits on either side of the backbone with a sharp knife to serve as vents for the fat to drain out while the chicken is roasting. Use your fingers or the bowl of a wooden spoon to loosen the skin over the breasts and thighs. Poke a few holes in the skin with a sharp pointed knife or skewer. Season under the skin with Rosemary & Olive Seasoning and spread the butter over the breast meat.

Mix 3 t (15 ml) of the Rosemary & Olive Seasoning, baking powder and corn flour together and rub it well into the skin of the bird.

Place the lemon quarters and fresh rosemary into the cavity of the bird. Tie the two drumsticks together with string and tuck the wing tips underneath the chicken. Place the bird on a rack over a roasting pan, breast down. Do not cover! Roast uncovered for 30 minutes. No need to baste.

Turn the chicken so the breast faces upwards. Put the onion in the pan under the rack so it cooks in the chicken juices. Add potatoes to chicken on the rack. Roast for a further 30-40 minutes. To test for doneness: pierce deep into the thickest part of the thigh. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done, otherwise give it another 15 minutes. Transfer the bird to a carving board and leave for 10 minutes, lightly tented with foil, to settle the juices before carving.

Make the gravy with the pan juices. Blot off the excess fat with absorbent kitchen paper or tilt the pan and spoon the fat off. Stir the Brown Gravy Powder into the pan juices, add 1 cup of water and bring the gravy to the boil on top of the stove. Strain out the onion if you prefer a smooth gravy. Taste for seasoning. Serve chicken with gravy, roast potatoes and seasonal vegetables of your choice.