Roasted Sticky Chicken

I'm a huge fan of store bought rotisserie chickens- they are juicy, intensely flavorful and can be eaten as is or used in so many different ways! Now (for barely any extra effort) I can make my own rotisserie-style chicken at home! This recipe was shockingly easy to prepare and is low-maintenance from start to feast. Marinating the chicken in the spice rub overnight is ideal. Then just pop it in a low temperature oven and let it go until your meat thermometer reads 170 F. Take it out, let it sit for a while so that the juices settle (you don't want to cut into the meat right away or you will ruin that perfect moistness), and dine on your savory and succulent bird.

With just two of us, we had a lot of leftover meat, which I'll be using to make wraps for dinner tonight. Also, remember to save the carcass to make chicken stock. It's simple: boil the bones/leftovers with a few aromatic veggies (carrots, onion, celery), bay, and black peppercorns for a few hours (or all day if you are truly ambitious). Strain. Cool. Skim the fat off the top. Freeze in smaller containers until ready to use. You can also freeze the chicken leftovers until you have enough to make a large batch of stock if you wish. And I'm sure it's obvious how much better for you homemade stock is than buying a carton at the store (not that I don't buy it often).

Coming soon, I'll be trying another method of roasting chicken: fast and firey (at a very high temp). We'll have to see which results in the more tender and tastey fowl. Until then, I wish you roasting success!

INGREDIENTS

1 4-5 lb. whole chicken, giblets removed

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. white pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1 onion, quartered

4 large cloves garlic, smashed

olive oil or butter

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder. Rinse chicken cavity, and pat dry with paper towel. Rub each chicken inside and out with spice mixture (and under the skin). Place onion and garlic into the cavity of the chicken. Place chickens in a resealable bag or double wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 to 6 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Place chickens in a roasting pan. Brush/rizzle with a small amount of butter or olive oil. Bake uncovered for 4-5 hours, or to a minimum internal temperature of 170 degrees F (180 is unnecessary- your bird will be dried out). Let the chickens stand for 10 minutes before carving.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from All Recipes)