We got Monday off to celebrate our victory at the SEA Games, so Rudy and I decided to have the family over for dinner. The fridge was overflowing with chicken and lamb and all sorts of stuff, so I joined the effort to clean it out. I needed to feed about 9 adults, so I decided on both chicken and lamb haneeth.
This recipe was based on Chef Ammar’s recipe, from one of the episodes of his show. The directions as shown on the video looked a bit strange, so I’ve modified it to what I think it should be, based on my experience roasting chicken.
Overall this dish turned out really well. I loved the flavor of the vegetables, they roasted nicely and were perfectly tender. I used a pretty small chicken this time, and it was done after only 30 minutes in the oven. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, butterflying and cooking at high temperature is the fastest, almost fool-proof way to get juicy, perfectly roasted chicken. Will definitely make this again!
Chef Ammar’s Haneeth Roasted Chicken with Cajun Spiced Vegetables
Ingredients
- 6 potatoes, peeled and cut into large, even chunks
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into zig zags/ faux tourne
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 200 grams whole white button mushrooms, halved
- 16 cloves garlic
- 1 (1.3 to 1.4 kilogram) whole chicken
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Cajun spice
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon Haneeth spice mix
Directions
Preheat the oven to 230 degrees C. If you have a fan/convection setting, preheat oven using that setting first.
In a large bowl, add the potatoes, carrots, onions, mushrooms and garlic. Drizzle with 1/4 cup olive oil.
Season with the Cajun spice. Toss to combine. Set aside.
Pat the chicken dry using paper towels. Trim the excess skin off the chicken, and butterfly it. Here’s a handy video on how to do this.
Gently loosen the leg joints to spread out the chicken as wide as possible. Tuck wing tips in.
In a small bowl, add the remaning 2 tablespoons olive oil, Haneeth spice and salt. Stir to combine.
In a large roasting tray, arrange the seasoned vegetables in an even layer.
Place the chicken breast side down on the tray. Brush the spice mixture evenly on the chicken.
Flip the chicken breast side up, and generously brush with the remaining spice mixture.
Pour about 1/2 cup of water into the tray. Try to pour it at the sides, to avoid rinsing off the spices from the veggies and chicken.
Place the tray in the oven, legs first, and roast until the thickest part of the breast registers at least 66 degrees C, 30 to 45 minutes. If you have a fan/convection setting, use this setting for the first 15 to 20 minutes to help with the browning.
When the chicken is done, remove from the oven. Tent with aluminium foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.
Cut into serving pieces. Arrange in a platter with the vegetables and serve.
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