Four ways with chicken - recipes

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Yummy drumsticks.

THAI ROAST CHICKEN

Serves 4

1 stalk lemongrass, roughly chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

10-15ml green curry paste

15ml grated fresh ginger

30ml lime or lemon juice

30ml fish sauce

250ml coconut milk

60ml chopped coriander

1 whole chicken

30ml peanut oil

Place all ingredients, barring the chicken and peanut oil into a mini chopper or blender and process until smooth.

Put chicken into a deep bowl, pour marinade over and rub into the chicken. Set aside for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Place chicken on to a rack in a roasting pan, pour marinade in underneath the rack. Brush with peanut oil and roast at 180°C for 40-45 minutes until chicken is cooked through and skin is crispy. Baste occasionally.

PORTUGUESE CHICKEN WITH POTATOES

Serves 4

1 whole chicken, spatchcocked

Marinade:

1 whole head of garlic

rock salt

1 red chilli, chopped

180ml oil

90ml white wine vinegar

salt and pepper

250g baby potatoes, peeled

Crush the garlic with the rock salt in a pestle and mortar to form a paste. Mix in the chilli, oil, vinegar and seasoning. Spread this over the chicken and leave to marinate for an hour.

Place the chicken, breast-side down on to a roasting tray and roast at 180°C for 30-40 minutes.

In the meantime boil the potatoes until just soft, drain well. Remove chicken from the oven and add the potatoes to the pan. Turn the chicken, breast side up on top of the potatoes. Return to the oven and roast for another 40-50 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Remove the chicken from the oven and keep warm. Return the pan to the oven to crisp up the potatoes, about 10-15 minutes.

Note: To spatchcock a chicken, cut down the one side of the backbone to open out. Cut down the other side of backbone to remove the bones. Turn the chicken over and with the palm of your hand press down on the breast to flatten the chicken.

YUMMY DRUMSTICKS

Makes 8

8 chicken drumsticks

seasoned flour for dusting

15ml olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic crushed

30ml honey

60ml tomato sauce

5ml mustard powder

50ml Worcestershire sauce

a few drops of Tabasco sauce

Lightly dust the drumsticks with some flour and place on a roasting tray. Heat oil in a small saucepan and cook the onion until soft.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Brush the drumsticks liberally with this mixture and roast in the oven at 180°C for 30-40 minutes turning frequently until cooked through and thoroughly sticky. Delicious served hot or cold.

SPICED ORANGE ROAST CHICKEN

Serves 8

8 chicken thighs

grated rind of 1 orange

80ml orange juice

80ml honey

15ml olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

10ml ground coriander

5ml ground cumin

2ml turmeric

1 orange, sliced

Place the chicken into an oven-proof casserole.

Combine all the ingredients except the sliced orange. Mix well.

Pour over chicken and set aside to marinade for about an hour.

Place an orange slice on top of each chicken thigh and roast at 180°C for 30-40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Remove from oven. Place chicken portions on to a serving platter and keep warm.

Pour remaining sauce into a small saucepan and boil rapidly until thick and syrupy.

Pour sauce over chicken and serve. - Saturday Star