As I tell my customers at the farmers market, learning to work with a whole chicken was a game-changer in our home; I typically prepare one each week in my beloved crock pot for all sorts of meals. And, while I love the convenience and versatility of this, it is nice to change it up a bit sometimes. I have heard my friend, Trista, rave about this chicken recipe several times and decided to give it a whirl. So, today is the day! This involved planning ahead (not always my greatest in-the-kitchen attribute) to thaw my chicken so that it would be ready to slow-roast in the oven. One thing to note from Tif, (Trista's friend who shared the recipe with her), is that the name can be mis-leading--the end result is not a 'sticky' chicken, but more of a rotisserie-style chicken. After the chicken is done, consider making a simple gravy with the drippings to serve over mashed potatoes as an excellent side dish.
Ingredients:
- 4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp white pepper (note: this is not an ingredient I keep on-hand; simply omit it if it is not in your spice rack. You can add more black pepper, if desired)
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 roasting chicken, large (~4.5 to 5 lbs)
- 1 cup onion, chopped
Directions:
- In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all the spices.
- Remove giblets from chicken, clean the cavity well and pat dry with paper towels.
- Rub the spice mixture into the chicken, both inside and out, making sure it is evenly distributed and down deep into the skin. Place in zipper food storage bag, seal and refrigerate overnight or freeze (or, simply place in a large bowl and cover with foil or plastic wrap).
- When ready to roast the chicken, 'stretch' the bird by gently loosening the wings, legs, etc. so that the bird will cook more efficiently and stuff the cavity with the diced onions, and place in a shallow baking pan. Roast uncovered at 275 degrees for 5 hours or until cooked through (may take longer, depending on the size of chicken you are using).
- After the first hour, baste chicken every 30 minutes with pan juices. The pan juices will start to caramelize on the bottom of the pan and the chicken will turn golden brown. Note: if you are using one of our chickens (or a similarly-raised bird), you will most likely not have pan drippings until around the 4 hour mark; this is because our birds are not packaged with extra water, like many commercial birds are. Because I like a little extra drippings, I add a small amount of water (~1/8 to 1/4 c) to my pan and use this to help with the basting process).
- Let chicken rest 10 minutes before carving.