He's Cooking Again - Roasted Chicken Dinner Party
Welcome to the first 'He's Cooking Again' feature! My name is Stephen Tucker, co-owner of Powder Studio, and I will be sharing some of my favorite at home recipes, cooking video content and Spotify playlists I've crafted to spice up your time in the kitchen and with your dinner guests.
Pictured: 'ARRIVAL' Serving Bowl & Dinner Platter
I will be posting recipes that include dips, dressings, cocktails, and vegan/vegetarian options. Today I'm bringing you a full meat-centric dinner party meal that will feed 4-6 people. Let's kick this off with a...
Roasted Chicken Dinner Party
What you will need:
- A whole chicken (3.5-5LBS)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cumin
- Cayenne pepper or paprika
- 1/2-1 stick of butter (we prefer Kerrygold Irish Butter)
- 2 Limes
- Olive Oil
- 2 Ripe Avocados
- A small bunch of green onions
- A package of Cauliflower Rice
- 2 cans of sliced Jackfruit
- A package of Petite tri-color Carrots (or other carrots of your liking)
- Minced garlic or garlic cloves
- Vinegar of choice (rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar are suggested)
- Fresh rosemary
- Rubbed sage (optional)
- Ground Thyme (optional)
- Chicken or vegetable stock (optional)
- 1 Bell Pepper (Any Color)
- Salad mix (we prefer Arugula or Organic Girl Sweet Pea Mix)
- 1/2 cucumber
- 2 Tomatoes
*Substitute the butter, broth, and other non-vegan/vegetarian side dishes to accommodate guests. You can easily fill your veggie loving friends with side dishes by making slight adjustments to the ingredients listed above.
*Always ask your guests about allergies or dislikes, or dietary preference prior to setting a menu or selecting seasonings.
Step 1
Begin cooking your meal by prepping a baking pan and the whole chicken. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil or butter the pan to avoid sticking. Remove the chicken from it's packaging, remove any contents from the chicken's cavity (giblets, liver, etc. are generally in a small package inside. You will not be using these items for this recipe). Rinse the chicken well, including the interior cavity. After you've cleaned the chicken, place it in the baking pan and grab some paper towels and dab the chicken dry on the inside and out (be sure not to leave any paper towel on or in your chicken). Wash your hands after each handling of the chicken
On a cutting board take 4-8 garlic cloves (depending on desired taste, if you are using minced garlic use a few tablespoons) and fresh rosemary. peel off the skin of the garlic and slice the cloves into thin slivers. Remove rosemary from it's stem (about 2-3 long stems worth) and chop the leaves into small pieces. Mix Garlic and rosemary together. Slice your butter into 5-10 small squares and place them on your cutting board. Take your butter squares and place a few inside of the cavity, stuff the remaining butter between the skin and the meat on each side of the chicken. You can find the slit of skin on the neck or cavity side of the chicken. After you've inserted the butter you will take your garlic and rosemary mixture and stuff that under the skin as well.
Take 2-3 cups of your cauliflower rice and stuff the cavity of the chicken. Wash your hands and grab your salt, pepper, and cayenne/paprika, and chop more rosemary. Sprinkle salt, pepper, cayenne/paprika, and rosemary over one side of your chicken. Rub this mixture all over the chicken, flip chicken and repeat this step on the non-seasoned side. Place breast side on chicken downward on the pan. Wash your hands with soap and water. After you've seasoned the chicken add a few splashes of chicken/veggie broth in the baking pan with the chicken. Pop the chicken in the oven and set the timer for 50 Min.
Step 2
While the chicken begins to cook you can work on preparing the sides. For this step you will need two skillets and a small/medium baking pan. Remove your carrots from their packaging and rinse them well. Place carrots in the baking pan, lightly drizzle with olive oil and season them with salt and pepper, a dash of cumin, and a few pinches of rubbed/ground sage and thyme. Mix seasoning around so carrots are evenly seasoned. Add a splash of chicken/veggie broth to the pan to help keep the carrots from drying out , and cover them until they are ready to be cooked.
Get your skillets ready for cooking. Drizzle each skillet with olive oil or butter to avoid sticking. You can add cauliflower rice to one pan with a square of butter and 1/4 cup of chicken/veggie broth. Add Salt and Pepper as you like. Cover skillet and leave stove top turned off.
Open your cans of jackfruit and drain the liquid into your sink. Add drained Jackfruit to the empty skillet, add Salt and pepper and some hot sauce of your choosing (we like Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce, Tapatio, or Valentina). Cover skillet and leave stove top turned off.
The 'ARRIVAL' Mood-Booster Cup
Holds 8 Fl. oz. of your favorite glass of wine, cocktail or juice.
Step 3
Have a glass of wine while you wait for the timer on the chicken!
Step 4
After the 50 minute timer rings for your chicken place a hot pot counter protector on your counter. Grab your oven mitts and remove the chicken from the oven placing it on the counter protector. Flip the chicken over, breast side up, and baste all over with juices from the pan. Return the chicken to the oven and set the timer for 50 minutes (or estimate 25 minutes per pound of chicken).
Step 5
After the chicken has been in the oven for 15 minutes you can insert your prepared carrots to the lower rack of the oven. Let carrots cook until the timer goes off and remove them. They should be cooked thoroughly, but will still be slightly al dente. Cover carrots with foil to keep them warm.
Step 6
As the chicken continues you cook you are reaching the home stretch to meal time! When you have about 30 minutes left on the chicken you can begin to prepare your salad and Goddess Dressing. Wash and slice the 1/2 cucumber, bell pepper, and tomatoes. Julienne your cucumber and bell pepper (cut long ways so they are long and thin). Slice your tomatoes into wedges.
Begin making the Goddess Dressing so it can marinate for a few minutes before you eat. Grab 2 ripe avocados, green onions, salt and pepper, Olive oil, and vinegar. slice open your avocados and remove the seed. Spoon or squeeze out the contents into your blender. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil, a dash of salt and pepper, and use kitchen scissors to cut small pieces of green onion into the blender. You can use a full bunch of green onions or a 1/2 - start with 1/2 and add more for flavor if desired, do the same with salt and pepper. Roll whole limes with your palms back and forth on a cutting board, this helps make them nice and juicy. Cut limes in half and squeeze juices into the blender. Place the lid on your blender and pulse the ingredients until you have a light green mixture. Add a few tablespoons of vinegar and pulse again. If dressing seems thicker than you would like it to be you can add more olive oil and vinegar to reach your desired consistency(Note that this dressing is meant to be creamy since avocado is the base). Once you are happy with the taste and consistency of your dressing place the lid on the blender and chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat. * you can add fresh grated ginger for a spicy zest*
Pictured: 'ARRIVAL' Serving Bowl
When you reach 20 min of the chicken timer, turn your stove top on and begin cooking your cauliflower rice and jackfruit. Cook both skillets on low/med temp for 15-20 min. Stir each skillet every few minutes to avoid burning.
Prepare your salad in a large serving bowl by adding the greens, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers and bell peppers. Cover and place in your fridge until you are ready to eat/ set your table.
Once cauliflower rice and jackfruit have cooked for 15 minutes taste them to see if they are done. cauliflower rice should be softer than raw cauliflower texture. The jackfruit will be done if it is warm throughout and easy to cut with a meat-like texture. If they are done cover and remove them from heat.
Step 7
When the timer rings open your oven and remove the baking pan of carrots, placing them on a hot pot counter protector. Do the same with the chicken and use a meat thermometer to ensure your meat us thoroughly cooked (165 degrees Fahrenheit). If chicken still needs to cook longer you can increase the temp on your oven to 375 Degrees and cook for 10-15 minutes longer, check temperature again after this. Once chicken reaches cooked temperature place it back in the oven and turn the oven to Hi Broil for 3-5 minutes, this helps brown and crisp the skin. Remove chicken and let cool 10 min before placing it on your serving plate or carving it. This allows chicken to stay juicy. Remove cauliflower rice from the chicken cavity and add into the skillet cauliflower rice or put it into another side dish.
Step 8
Place All items into serving bowls (carrots, cauliflower rice, jackfruit, Green Goddess dressing) or dress plates yourself. When the chicken has cooled a few minutes it is ready to be placed on a serving dish or to carve it and place on a serving dish/ individually plate. Set the food on your table and ring the dinner bell!
Step 9
Put on a playlist and dig in! Here's a Spotify Playlist I've curated for your cooking and eating enjoyment. "He's Cooking Again"
Serve your dinner party in style with the new 'ARRIVAL' collection.