Roast chicken. It’s the perfect blank canvas. You can go any direction with the flavors and vegetables you choose to roast with it.

This time I went Moroccan. I’ve been obsessed with this new spice mix I got called Ras El-Hanout. You HAVE to try it. I recommend the Williams-Sonoma brand. I can’t vouch for any other brands, but the name Ras El-Hanout means “top of the shop,” so it’s usually the best spices a spice merchant has to offer. If you have lots of individual spices at home, you might want to make your own Ras El-Hanout. How exciting.

Anyway, this is what you need:

Oh, and some allspice too:

First thing you want to do is preheat the oven to 425F.

While it preheats, make the Moroccan Spice Mix (for proportions, check the recipe card at the end of the post).

Set the spice mix aside, and let’s prep the chicken.

Put your big girl panties (or big boy boxers, or briefs, or tighty whities) on, because your about to get hands-on with raw chicken. It’s worth it though, I promise.

So, no matter what flavor I’m doing my base seasoning of a roast chicken involves oil, salt and pepper. It’s legally required to prep your chicken that way. Sorry, I don’t make the rules around here.

Rinse your chicken off first.

 Then pat it dry with a paper towel, this helps the spices adhere to the chicken better.

Drizzle on some oil.

Remember that you need to tuck in the wings and this is the time to hike those big girl panties all the way up till your in “wedgie-status” because sometimes it can get a little gnarly when you hear and feel the bone snap. This just got very graphic. My apologies.

Ok now the wings are tucked in and you have a little throw up in your mouth. It’s ok, keep it movin’.

Add a heavy coating of S&P over the whole chicken and inside the cavity as well. I didn’t stuff my cavity this time, but you can always stuff it if you want to. I just wasn’t in a stuffing mood last night.

Add the spice mix. I used all of it, but I also seasoned the bottom of the chicken. So use what you think you will like and if you have some left over it’s a great rub on any meat, seafood or veggies.

Then rub the rub. I’m so lame. Shoot me now.

Place it on whatever veggies you have on hand. Hubby likes potatoes so I used them and a large onion, quartered.

Also, if you have some twine (or leftover cheesecloth) use that to tie the ends of the drumsticks together. Not necessary, but it helps cook the chicken evenly. 

Bake for at least an hour, then check for doneness. If using a meat thermometer measure the temperature in the drumstick, you want it to be 165F. If you don’t have a meat thermometer, do it the old-fashioned way. Cut a small incision in the chicken leg, if the juices run clear it’s done, if they run pink then cook it longer.

Once it comes out of the oven cover it in foil for at least 10 mins before you cut into it. That allows time for the juices to redistribute into the chicken and not run all over your cutting board, leaving you with a dry chicken. Blech.

 Once it’s finished resting, carve into it and enjoy!

The breast was so succulent and flavorful. And you have plenty of leftovers to make cooking the rest of the week a breeze!

You’re welcies!

Also, if you’re a human then you are legally required to type your email in the box below to subscribe to my blog. It’s a law passed by the same people who approved the base chicken seasoning law I mentioned earlier. Sorry for all the laws, but I’m just following orders. There’s a fine if you don’t enter your email below. It’s bad karma. I also know the karma people and they owe me one. Jus’ sayin’.

[subscribe2]

[yumprint-recipe id=’63’]