Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Spicy Roast Chicken With Sweet Onions


Did you miss me? I know you did. With all sorts of things getting in the way of good eats, I haven't had much to post about over the last couple of weeks. Sure, I had a great spinach and cheese dip at a bar in Astoria last night, but who among you really wants to read about Astoria bars, really? I'm sure there's some intrepid blogger out there who's got that covered anyway.

Feeling guilty that I've been neglecting you, my loyal readers, I stopped at the grocery store on the way home with designs on making something good, but also quick. I'm still exhausted in general and really didn't feel like undertaking anything that would be a real production. I wanted something hearty, and I immediately remembered the Hunter's Chicken I made for a dinner party last year. It was great, but a ton of work, and I really didn't feel up to it. Browsing the always handy epicurious.com, I happened upon this little gem, which seemed to fit the bill. My version is a little bit spicier, but it's basically the same recipe, and it came out great.

Spicy Roast Chicken With Sweet Onions

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp paprika (more if you want it spicier)
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 whole chicken, cut into service pieces (I bought this pre-cut at the grocery store)
1 sweet onion, cut into wedges

Directions:

Preheat oven to 500 with rack in the upper third.







Mix the olive oil and spices in a large mixing bowl. Throw the onion and chicken into the mixture and toss until everything's evenly coated.


Arrange the chicken pieces in a shallow baking dish, skin side down, along with the onion.


Bake for 30 minutes.


Seriously, that's it. It's a very juicy and spicy roast chicken, and honestly I think it could have used even more paprika and black pepper. It's extremely quick to make, especially if you get the chicken pre-cut (I'm awful at cutting up chickens, I admit), and cleanup is pretty minimal. I really felt like eating something hearty that took as little effort as possible, and this really fit the bill.









I steamed some asparagus to ass [um, add - thanks to Delirium Tremens] some color to the meal and opened a bottle of the not-great Seyval-Chardonnay from Applewood. Everything came out great, and it was only about 40 minutes from beginning to end, including the 30-minute cooking time.


I hope everyone's staying warm and praying to whatever higher power you believe in that Spring will come soon.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yum. I'll have to try.

Anonymous said...

you should try some of these recies, youll love them... http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/page/1

Kate said...

Brian, Do any of these people know you? You are not fat. Who gets fat from eating chicken, fish and asparagus? Delicious chicken I might add.

Brian said...

Everyone here is my friend, even those who think I'm a manatee.

...and those who think I'm a woman.

Delirium Tremens said...

I love your typo :) (check where you wrote about asparagus)

foodbin said...

you are a good cook-like the spears of asparagus

Anonymous said...

Thank you!!! Came across this and I'm preparing instead in a 4 inch deep pan on the stove. I just happen to have all the ingredients too. Hadn't thought about the cinnamon before. It must smell good, my kids are hovering around the stove. You should try some ginger in place of the cinnamon next time.

Brian said...

ginger does sound good! Maybe with a little soy sauce too? Hmm... Another idea might be to use boneless skinless chicken breasts only and then use them to make chicken sandwiches.

Hope you enjoy the recipe!