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Sweet & Spicy Roasted Chicken

  • Rub
    • 2 habanero peppers
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • 2 green onion stalks (mostly green part)
    • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
    • 2 tablespoons allspice
    • 1 tablespoon achiote pepper OR smoked paprika
    • 1 tablespoon cumin seed
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
    • 2 tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce
    • 3 tablespoons avocado oil (or neutral flavored oil)
  • 3 Cornish hens (or 2 broiler chickens)
  • Garnish
    • fresh tarragon (or parsley)

Steps

Step 1

Brine your hens for at least 1 hour or overnight.  To make the brine, I simmered for 20 minutes – 2 quarts water, 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons peppercorn and 1 bay leaf.  I removed it from the heat to let it COMPLETELY cool – I used ice to speed up the process.  Then I added the chicken to brine in the fridge.

Step 2

Blend together habanero, garlic, green onion and ginger using an immersion blender or countertop blender.  Add to a bowl along with the remaining ingredients for the rub – mix until it becomes a paste.

Step 3

When you remove the chicken from the brine, ensure it is COMPLETELY patted dry – this helps the skin become crispy.  Then add the rub all over the chicken.  I like to add the chicken to individual sealable bags to marinate for another hour (or up to overnight in the fridge).

Step 4

Set grill or oven to 400F.  Note: I used a Rotisserie so I lowered and raised the chicken depending on the heat of the fire/coals/wood.

Step 5

OVEN: add chicken to a baking rack inside a baking tray.  Roast for about 1 hour or until the thermometer on the chicken reaches 160F in the thickest part of the chicken.

Step 6

GRILL: add the chicken to the Rotisserie and cook chicken until the thickest part of the chicken reads 160F on a thermometer.  The speed of cooking will be influenced by the heat and the outside temperature so cooking times may vary which is why a meat thermometer is a great investment. 

Step 7

Allow to rest for 5 – 10 minutes before garnishing, slicing and enjoying!