Caribbean-spiced roast chicken
- Prepare
- 1-2 hours
- Cook
- 1 to 2 hours
- Serve
- Serves 6–8
Bring the warm flavours of the Caribbean to Sunday lunch!
By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 free-range chicken
- 30g/1oz butter, softened
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
For the green seasoning
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- 1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- small pinch Scotch bonnet chilli
- 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the vegetables
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 6 asparagus spears, trimmed
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 spring onions, white and green parts separated, finely sliced
- 150g/5½oz frozen peas
- 100g/3½oz cooked pigeon peas
Method
To make the chicken, mix all of the dried herbs, spices, ginger, sugar, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Rub well all over and inside the chicken. Set aside in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Place the chicken in a roasting tin and rub the butter and oil over the top of the bird. Roast for 1¼ –1½ hours, or until cooked through. The chicken is cooked through when the juices run clear with no trace of pink when the thickest part of the leg, between the drumstick and the thigh, is pierced with a skewer. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the green seasoning, mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
To make the vegetables, heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the sweet potatoes for 15 minutes until coloured and softened.
Add the asparagus and fry for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and white parts of the spring onions, cook for 2 minutes, then add the peas, pigeon peas, two thirds of the green seasoning and season with salt and pepper.
Remove the chicken from the roasting tin and carve. Place the tin on the hob and add 200ml/7fl oz hot water and reduce by half to create a gravy. Stir through the remaining green seasoning to finish.
Serve the chicken and gravy with the vegetables. Garnish with the green parts of the spring onions.
