Baked Chicken Recipes

photo credit: stevendepolo

Well here it is March already and Spring will be here before we know it!  Years ago I saw Ming Tsai make a really nice whole chicken recipe for Spring.  I have made some changes to it, but I don’t have kept the main trend of his recipe.  This makes for a real nice presentation, since you cook all of your vegetables and put them on a platter.  On top of that you put two golden brown chickens and serve the whole thing family style.

To get your chickens going, have your oven heating to 550 degrees.  This is going to give us moist birds with crispy skin.  Rub 2 4-lb. chickens inside and out with 1/2 cup of canola oil.  Mix together 1/4 cup fleur de sel and 1/8 cup of black pepper.  Apply this liberally to the chickens.  Place in roasting pan – breast side up – and cook in oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown.  You may need to rotate the chicken after 15 minutes or so to get even browning.  When chicken are browned, turn the oven down to 300 degrees and cover loosely with foil to prevent burning,.  Cook chicken about another 40 to 45 minutes.  You should be able to move the wing very easily.  Remove the chickens and let them rest for 10 minutes.

Now this whole chicken recipe just needs the Spring vegetables.  Have a nice hot pan ready and add 2 tablespoons of butter.  Then add 5 minced shallots and 2 tablespoons of minced garlic and cook about 3 minutes.  Don’t let the garlic burn.  Add 1 cup of sliced shitake mushrooms and 2 cups of quartered button mushrooms and saute these.  Season to taste and add 1 cup of white wine.  Reduce by half and add 1 cup of chicken stock, 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce and 1/2 tablespoons of fresh thyme.  Bring to simmer and add 1 cup of peas, 1 cup of shucked and blanched edamames, 1 cup of lima beans, 1 cup of small-dice blanched carrots and 1 cup of blanched sugar snap peas cut into 1/4 inch lengths.  Bring to a simmer and add a tablespoon of white truffle oil.  Season to taste.  Add 1/4 cup of chopped chives or green onions just before serving.

Your whole chicken recipe is complete and you are ready to serve.  Mound your vegetables on a large platter and place the chickens over this mixture.  Present to the table and serve family style.

Technorati Tags: baked chicken recipe, Baked Chicken Recipes, Ming Tsai, Oven Chicken Recipes, Whole chicken recipe