SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - Want to host a dinner party without the pressure of cooking up a storm?
Go simple. No need to get all ambitious and cook a turkey from scratch. After all, you can order one from ST Food's new festive online shop at the ST Wine online site.
But if you want to have a homemade festive meal for just a select few, I suggest you roast a chicken and whip up a side dish of root vegetables.
Select root vegetables with vibrant colours, throw in butternut squash and the dish will do fairly well as a centrepiece.
Add a salad bowl, bread rolls, smoked salmon, cheese, good wine, and you are all set for an evening.
Best part is, you can enjoy the luxury of chatting with your guests instead of scuttling between the kitchen and dinner table.
Festive Roast Chicken And Vegetable Medley
INGREDIENTS
Roast chicken:
1.5kg Sakura chicken (feet, head and neck removed)
2 Tbs garlic salt with oregano and parsley
5 Tbs Dijon mustard
50ml Cognac
30ml Cointreau
½ tsp Angostura bitters
Roast vegetables:
200g butternut squash
2 Japanese purple sweet potatoes (200g)
150g mini red radish
1 carrot (150g)
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 flat Tbs garlic salt with oregano and parsley
1 sprig of rosemary
METHOD
1. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with kitchen towel.
2. Place the chicken on a wire rack, on a plate, and place in the fridge to dry for an hour.
3. Tie the chicken legs together with a piece of kitchen string.
4. Take one-third of the garlic salt and rub it into the cavity of the chicken.
5. Rub the remaining garlic salt all over the exterior surface of the chicken.
6. In a bowl, place the Dijon mustard, cognac, Cointreau and Angostura bitters. Mix well.
7. Place the chicken in a resealable bag. Pour in the marinade, making sure it covers the surface of the chicken. Seal the bag and leave the chicken to marinate overnight in the fridge.
8. Remove the chicken from the fridge 20 minutes before roasting.
9. Preheat oven at 250 deg C for 10 minutes.
10. Place chicken on a wire rack placed on a baking tray.
11. Cover the wing tips with aluminium foil.
12. Put the chicken in the oven to roast at 230 deg C for 10 minutes.
13. Turn the heat down to 180 deg C. Roast for 1 hour. Remove the foil covering the wings.
14. Continue roasting 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. To check, use a skewer to pierce the chicken leg. If the juices run clear, the chicken should be done.
15. Remove the kitchen string before serving.
METHOD (SIDE DISH)
1. Peel and cut the butternut squash into large chunks (4cm wide).
2. Peel and cut the Japanese purple sweet potatoes into large chunks (4cm wide).
3. Wash and dry the mini red radish.
4. Cut the carrot into large chunks (4cm wide).
5. Put all the vegetables in a baking tray.
6. Drizzle the extra virgin olive oil and add the garlic salt.
7. Toss to distribute the oil and salt flakes.
8. Place a sprig of rosemary on top.
9. Put in oven half an hour before the chicken is done and roast the vegetables at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.
10. Serve with the roast chicken.
Follow Hedy Khoo (@hedchefhedykhoo) on Instagram for more culinary adventures.
