December 31, 2007

Spicy Peanut Butter Roasted Chicken

Me. Honey, I picked up a chicken at the market today and was thinking of roasting it with some Indian spices. Does that sound OK? 

 Him. How about making a Peanut Butter Roast Chicken? You could pack some peanut butter and chiles under the skin and roast it that way. 

Hmmm... why not?

 
I love the flavor combination of chicken and peanut butter and often make an amazing, spicy chicken stew from Ghana called Nketia Fla. So a roasted chicken with peanut butter and spices sounded absolutely perfect! I just had to come up with the right mixture to spread over the chicken. I fiddled around with a few ingredients and made a spicy paste that browned up nicely and kept the chicken moist and succulent. 

A note: When I made this, I mixed up the peanut butter paste to taste, not with measuring spoons, so the measurements are approximate. Also, different brands of peanut butter have different textures. 

Spicy Peanut Butter Roasted Chicken 
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce 
  • 5 tablespoons smooth peanut butter 
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper - or more if you like it hotter (you could also use chopped, fresh chili pepper
  • 3 green onions 
  • 1 whole (3-4 pound) chicken 
  • 1 inch piece of ginger 
  • 2 cloves garlic 
  • a handful of cilantro 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 
Mix together the soy sauce, peanut butter, rice vinegar, cayenne pepper and one of the green onions, minced. Make sure the mixture is a sticky paste, add more peanut butter if necessary. The paste should be a nice balance of sweet, salty and spicy. 
Gently loosen the skin of the chicken and spread half of the paste between the skin and the meat. 
Rub the rest of the paste all over the chicken. 
Cut the remaining two green onions into 2 inch pieces, peel and chop the ginger and mince the garlic. Stuff these three ingredients with the cilantro into the chicken cavity. 
Roast the chicken breast side down in a roasting pan for about 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 325 degrees and flip the chicken breast side up. Baste with any juices that have accumulated in the pan. 
Roast for another 30-40 minutes, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160-165 degrees and the juices runs clear. If they are tinged with red, roast for another 5 minutes and check again. 
Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes, tented with foil. 
Carve and serve.
Bon appetit!


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11 comments:

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Sounds like a very tasty combination with flavours similar to Satay. What an innovative choice! I hope you have a wonderful New Year. Keep up all the delicious posts in 2008!!!!

Anonymous said...

what an unusual combination of flavors! I never would dream of mixing chicken and peanut butter! Thanks! I hope you guys have a wonderful New Year!

Jennifer said...

bellini,
Yes, it is like satay! Very aromatic.
Thanks for the nice New Year's wishes. The best to you also!

achickenineverygrannycart,
If you like peanut butter you will love the combo.
Happy New Year to you also!

La Belette Rouge said...

I am so making this recipe. What did you serve with it. This sounds amazing. I love anything that is spicy and peanuty and yet I hate to eat plain peanuts.

Happy New Year, Loulou and "Him"!!

Jennifer said...

la belette rouge,
We had some sautéed broccoli and steamed jasmine rice with it.

A very Happy New Year to you too!

Katie Zeller said...

Oooh, Well done!
I love satay, this looks like a great way to keep the whole chicken moist and get the flavors!
BTW - the smoking ban in our little villages? I'll see it to believe it! But maybe when we 'anglos' are around...

Jennifer said...

katie,
Yes, my husband sometimes comes up with good ideas. (I know he'll read this, so I have to tease him!) :)

I'm heading into our local, usually very smoky, café today to see if they're really enforcing it. I seriously doubt it....

The Late Bloomer said...

Wow, this does sound intriguing and wonderful! Of course I've heard of chicken with peanuts before, but I never thought of roasting a chicken with a peanut butter spread -- I love the idea! It looks YUMMY.

Jennifer said...

late bloomer
It was super delicious! And nice and spicy too. (but it doesn't have to be)

Tina said...

My chicken came out juicy and tender, unfortunately the flavor wasn't quite there for me. I found the soy sauce to be a little overpowering. I might try it against next time with half as much soy sauce and maybe a few tsps of honey.

Jennifer said...

Tina
Thanks for letting me know what you thought. And please let me know how your adaptation of the recipe turns out. Honey sounds like a good idea!