Roast Chicken — Ammi’s Recipe
Ammi’s roast chicken — the bird is rubbed inside and out with tomato sauce, teriyaki, turmeric, and chilli, stuffed with celery, mint, basil, and garlic, then baked low and slow with foil before a final high blast to brown the skin. Can be left to marinate overnight.
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1 chicken, 3–4 lbs -
tomato sauce — to taste -
teriyaki sauce — to taste -
2 tsp turmeric -
1½–2 tsp chilli powder -
salt — to taste -
a piece of celery, fresh mint, and fresh basil -
½ onion, chopped -
3–4 cloves garlic, crushed or ground -
1 dessertspoon honey -
1 tsp butter, melted
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Wash the chicken and remove the giblets. Wipe it dry with a paper towel.
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Mix together the tomato sauce, teriyaki, turmeric, chilli powder, and salt. Rub generously over the outside and inside of the bird. Place on a baking tray or in a dish.
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Chop the celery, mint, and basil. Mix with the chopped onion. Place this stuffing inside the bird, rubbing it in well and reserving a little for the outside. Crush the garlic cloves and place some inside the bird; rub the rest on the outside.
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Leave the chicken to rest in its seasonings for a while — it can also be left overnight in the fridge.
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Just before baking, melt the butter, add the honey, and rub all over the bird. Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken breast-side up. Cover with foil and bake for about 1½ hours (25 minutes per pound, plus 20 minutes). After the first half hour, reduce the temperature to 350°F. In the last 15 minutes, remove the foil and raise the heat to 400°F to brown the skin well.
