Roasted Chicken Breasts With Orange Cardamom And Turmeric Recipes

ORANGE-CARDAMOM ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the butter, cardamom, orange zest, ginger, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
• Butterfly the chicken: Place on a cutting board, breast-side down with the neck toward you. Using a pair of sharp kitchen shears (and your biceps), cut through the bones on either side of the backbone; the spine should come away in a narrow strip, which you can discard or save for stock. Flip the bird over, breasts facing up and closest to you. Using the heel of your palm and your body weight, push down on the breastbone; you should hear it crack. The chicken should lie flat now. Rotate the drumsticks toward the center line of the body so she looks a little knock-kneed. There you go. You just butterflied a chicken!
• Slide your fingers between the flesh and the skin over the breasts, thighs and drumsticks. Use a teaspoon to deposit a little of the flavored butter into each pocket and smooth it out over each part of the chicken, making sure the butter is evenly spread, then pat the skin dry.
• Toss the potato slices with the sunflower oil, season with salt and pepper and let them sit in a bowl at room temperature alongside the chicken for 30 minutes. Give your oven a quick wipe down before preheating it to 500 degrees F. (The high temps will cause any leftover drips to smoke you out of your kitchen! If your oven still smokes, then turn it down to 450 degrees F after the first 10 minutes.)
• Drain off the water that's been drawn from the potatoes and pour the potatoes into an even layer in a large cast-iron skillet. Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and tuck the wings under her shoulders. Pop the whole kit 'n' kaboodle into the oven. Cook for 20 minutes. Rotate the skillet and cook for 20 more minutes, until the skin is crispy, the juices run clear and the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board, loosely tented with foil. Using a fish spatula or slotted spoon, gently turn the potatoes. If you'd like them crispier, pop them under your broiler for 3 to 5 minutes. Scoop out the potatoes onto a platter, leaving behind the pan grease. Cut the chicken into pieces, place them on top of the potatoes and serve with boldness and courage!
• Find more recipes from Aarti in her cookbook, Aarti Paarti ($28, Grand Central Publishing).

ORANGE HERB ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Pour the chicken broth into a small roasting pan, and set aside.
• Loosen the skin from the breasts and thighs of the chicken. Stuff the butter pieces evenly underneath the skin of the chicken, and place into the roasting pan. Squeeze the orange halves over the chicken, and stuff the orange halves into the chicken cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper to taste, then rub in the minced garlic. Drizzle the melted butter all over the chicken, then lay the herb sprigs onto the breast and around the legs.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Uncover and baste the chicken with the pan juices. Continue cooking until the chicken is no longer pink, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 degrees F (74 degrees C), 1 to 2 hours. Baste the chicken every 10 to 15 minutes after you uncover it. Once cooked, allow the chicken to rest out of the oven for 10 minutes before slicing.

BAKED ORANGE-GLAZED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk orange juice, vegetable oil, orange zest, paprika, mustard, and salt in a bowl. Arrange chicken breast halves in a baking dish; pour orange juice mixture over chicken.
• Bake chicken breasts until no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, 30 to 45 minutes, basting with orange glaze every 10 to 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

ROAST CARDAMOM CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put the whole peppercorns, cardamom seeds and cumin in a spice mill and grind them into a fine powder. You can also do this with a mortar and pestle.
• Put the water in a blender along with the salt, ginger, garlic, cayenne, vinegar and ground spices.
• Blend to a smooth paste.
• Put the yogurt in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken.
• Stir in the spice paste.
• Add the chicken and make sure all pieces are covered in the marinade.
• Break the cinnamon stick in two and tuck it in with the chicken.
• Cover and marinate for at least two hours and as much as overnight.
• Set the oven to 220 C or 425°F.
• Bake the chicken in a shallow dish for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
• The yogurt should have formed a dark brown crust.
• Sprinkle with mint leaves.

CARDAMOM HONEY ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 390°F Warm the honey so that it is liquid, stir in the sherry, cardamom and peppercorns. (If you are grinding the spices with a mortar and pestle, be sure to remove the seeds from their pods prior to grinding.) Place marinade and chicken in a large resealable bag, coat chicken with marinade. Close bag and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes (no longer than that).
• Heat olive oil in a large frying pan at medium high heat. Sear the chicken, skin side down, until golden. (If you plan to discard the skin, as I do, you can omit this step. Just add an additional 5-6 minutes to the baking time.).
• Place lemon slices in a roasting pan. Lay the chicken pieces on top. Lightly brush with the marinade. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the remaining marinade. (Warning: Do not be tempted to pour the marinade in the baking pan, it will be a mess.).
• Place in the oven and bake until done, approximately 25 minutes for breasts.
• (According to the original recipe it is 20 minutes for thighs, wings, and drumsticks, but I found the time for breasts to short so please check for doneness.) Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• Pour out drippings from the pan into a gravy boat for gravy.