Monday 28 March 2016

Garlic and Salt Roasted Chicken


This is the most basic of roasted chicken with only 4 ingredients for the marinade. Easy and yet so tasty.

What I did was basically pound a whole bulb of garlic with  a teaspoon of sea salt and peppercorns. Then I added olive oil to the pounded paste and gave it a good stir. I enjoy stirring stuff. It's therapeutic. 


While that was happening, my chicken was sitting pretty on the colander. I had given it a good bath.


I took some paper towels and dabbed the chicken to take off the excess moisture. All that time, I was sweating away in my hot kitchen. I couldn't wait to escape to the cool recesses of my study room.


Then I gave the chicken a good rub down with the garlic paste. Drat! My garlic paste was not as fine as I thought it was. I should have pounded a bit more for a smoother paste.  

I left the chicken to stand for about an hour or so since it was still cold (just bought from Aeon). Then it was time to roast!

I placed the chicken on a rack which I placed inside a lined metal tray. That metal tray came with the Poon Choi that my brother and sister-in-law tapau on Chinese New Year eve. I kept the tray because I knew one day it would come in handy.


For my future reference, I am putting this photo here, although I have misgivings showing you my dirty well used oven. I placed a metal rack on the glass turntable and then placed the roasting tray on top of it.

This way, my chicken will rotate while it is roasting, resulting in even cooking. Besides, it won't get burnt because it is on the lowest level in the oven. 

I also took the trouble to tie the chicken legs together for better presentation.


I roasted the chicken for one hour at 180C. After it was done, I left it on the oven for a further 5 minutes for it to continue to brown a little bit more.


After resting the chicken for 30 minutes, I started to carve it. Our local chicken suffers from water retention just like I do. So much water oozed out onto the cutting board. That's why when I cook chicken, I either add very little water or no water at all because I know it will bleed water.


The skin was very crispy and I could smell the combination of garlic and salt, which is a very good smell. I couldn't help pulling off the wings and enjoying right there and then. It was so good! Crispy skin and moist flesh. Then I pulled off the....errr.....backside. Equally good!


The crispy browned garlic bits were very nice to bite into. Well, sometimes simple is good. And this roasted chicken is good enough proof.









Garlic and Salt Roasted Chicken
Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :
- 1 whole chicken (about 1.4kg)
- 1 large bulb garlic, peeled
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp white peppercorns
- 3 tbsp olive oil and more for drizzling

Method :
1. Clean the chicken and pat dry.
2. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, salt and peppercorn until fine to form a paste.
3. Add olive oil to the paste and mix to combine.
4. Rub the garlic paste all over the chicken including the cavity.
5. Place chicken on a rack placed inside a lined roasting pan.
6.  Drizzle some olive oil onto the chicken.
7. Roast at 180C for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked and browned.



This post is linked to the event Bake Along #93 (Baked/Roasted Chicken) organized by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and Lena of Frozen Wings.

36 comments:

  1. Oh.. I love garlic and moreover on roasted salted chicken ! I always bought the salted chicken when in Ipoh but that is not roasted !

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    1. Garlic and salt makes food very tasty!

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  2. Yes, I agree that this is a simple roast chicken recipe with ingredients for the marinade available at all times in our pantry. I've not used pounded garlic as the main marinade as I thought it would always burn (and become bitter) before the chicken is cooked, so I must try this...but with chicken leg and not a whole chicken coz I don't know how to carve a whole chicken...mine will end up looking really butchered to death! :(

    As for the chicken oozing out water, that's liquid gold (I hope you didn't discard it). I usually reserve it and pour it over the chicken pieces when eating coz those juices help moisten the chicken...hehe! ;D

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    1. I don't know how to carve a chicken properly either :D I just slice off the legs and then the rest I just butcher by hand hah..hah...

      Don't worry. I kept the juices. But some spilt on the floor >.<

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  3. I loves roasted chicken, but i lazy to make it, usually if i pass by Cold Storage and saw that there's promotion, will buy back...

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    1. I am also very tempted by the roasted chicken I see at the supermarket.

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  4. Garlic & salt. I never thought of this combo before.. Maybe I should try too.. I like garlic, but not raw type (the one we eat with bakuteh).. Hubby doesn't like garlic (raw or cooked).. That's why I never tried garlic before in my roast chicken.. But from the picture, I see the garlic all roasted until all the "raw" garlic smell pun hilang jor, I think ok kua..Ohh, you drizzle olive oil? I don't have olive oil, mahal, hehe, and I don't like the taste, macam got 1 kind taste, maybe I'm not high class enough..

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    1. I happen to love garlic though it makes my breath smell hee..hee.. The garlic on my roasted chicken became very crispy and sedap. No raw garlic smell. Actually I also don't like the taste of olive oil but after it is cooked, the taste is nice. You can always use other type of vegetable oil.

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  5. HHhmmmm, did you just eat the chicken breast just like that or did you shred them up to make sandwiches or salad?

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  6. I roasted two chicken legs using the same way last week! But... but... I forgot momentarily that I am a blogger, and remembered only after both ended inside my tummy. One for lunch, one for dinner... :/

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    1. Oh, that's nice! I am sure you'll roast chicken again some time soon. Please remember to take photos :)

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  7. Muahahaha... I must be honest that I stared at your oven's walls instead of the chicken with many thoughts running across my mind. I kept debating which oven cleaner does the job better. LOL

    I also have not heard of garlic and salted roated chicken! I love salted chicken roasts and eat raw garlic like candies. So I would love this recipe of yours.

    "You eat lots of chicken backside and your face will be porcelain smooth!", my grandma always said.

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    1. Aiyo, so shy you laughing at my dirty oven. You love raw garlic, huh? Me too!

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  8. I think they do sell some clips for turkey, dunno if they have smaller ones for chicken or not...or those clips may be used for both. Poor chicken...the rope! LOL!!!

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    1. Oh, clips for the legs? I've never seen those. Yeah, the rope hee..hee...

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  9. Phong Hong, first of all where you get your chicken? So beautiful. The size is just right to be roasted.

    You're good is roasting chicken, very nice. I like.

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    1. Angeline, I got from Aeon. It's called Lucky Chicken LOL! The size is good but very watery >.<

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  10. Oven side wall is dirty - very common leh.. Is ok for me.

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    Replies
    1. I was too lazy to clean up everytime, so the dirt stuck hah..hah..

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  11. wow, looks so delicious lah.. i also cannot resist to go and tear the chicken into parts using bare hands.. the wings sound good and i also like the chicken breast, save the thigh and drumsticks for you, hahaha.. garlic and salt, simple and basic but i guess the most basic can be the most tasty ones.. but of course the chicken got to be fresh in order to go with basic marinate, agree?? hmmm, i wonder why you didn't dip your chicken with your Sriracha sauce?? i guess that would be nice huh?? :)

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    1. The chicken was fresh but my only complaint is that it is so watery :( Garlic and salt combo works well. Ah, you remembered my sriracha sauce. I was quite tempted to dip the chicken but I reckon I should just enjoy the natural flavors of the chicken with the marinade.

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  12. It must have smelled very well during baking!

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  13. Phong Hong, I love roast chicken and thank you for this simple recipe. I am going to get one nice chicken to roast tomorrow! I hope I won't be dreaming of roast chicken tonight! Ha ha!

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  14. hi phong hong! you made me laughed saying that you also like the chicken suffer from water retention! u know, i nvr tried tying legs together for roasting, the pic looks like the chicken kena handcuffed...haha!

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    1. hah..hah...I blame my weight on the water :D

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  15. Nice and easy.. let me do this one day! I like the way your chicken is standing sexily waiting to be "make-up!" hahahaa...

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    1. But looks quite scary without the head LOL!

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  16. Hi Phong Hong,
    Most times, simple is the best! I like your garlic paste! I can imagine how perfect it is with the chicken, roasted to perfection! Yums!

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  17. Hi Phong Hong,

    Totally agree that simple is often good. The chicken and generous amount of garlic paste is so perfect together.

    Zoe

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    1. Hi Zoe! This roast chicken goes well with salad, so I'll be making it more often :)

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