Chicken Tequila
Serves 4 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 1.5 hrs (small chicken)
Tequila Twist on the Classic Roast
The sauce / gravy that this dish makes is so delicious. Spoon it on top of the chicken once you’ve plated up. Fuse the almighty British roast dinner with some interesting international flavours; tequila, lime, coriander, smoked paprika, cayenne. It’s a winning combination. Most of the roast chickens I do at home use this recipe or a rebased around the same ingredients. Yes, tequila is one of my staple store-cupboard ingredients.
To complete the meal, throw in some Jamaican inspiration and try my recipe for Black Rice and Beans. Served together you could call it something along the lines of “Ja-Mexican”. Although every time I say this, all I can hear is Nicole Scherzi screaming “amazing”. Try this recipe for yourself and you may even be screaming out AMAZING.
CHICKEN
About 115g of free-range chicken will provide the following of your recommended daily intake;
97% vitamin B3 (significant protection from heart disease, lowers levels of bad cholesterol, elevates “good” cholesterol HDL).
70% protein.
56% selenium (selenium deficiency, which some people who are HIV positive may have, has implications on immune function, depression, cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypothyroidism, infertility in males).
40% vitamin B6 (can prevent anaemia, and also used to treat heart disease, high cholesterol, cramps, skin conditions, and boosting the immune system).
36% phosphorous.
22% choline (liver protector).
21% vitamin B5 (great for acne and reducing oil production in the skin)
16% vitamin B12.
(SOURCE)
CORIANDER A great source of vitamin K (great for bones and teeth). It’s also high in antioxidant vitamins A & C, which are useful for healthy immune system function. Coriander is also beneficial for people suffering with skin disorders (eczema and dryness). Coriander is good for stimulating our digestion system and can also help to treat diarrhoea. There is a compound within this herb that can help protect us from stomach upset, even that which could be caused by Salmonella- more so than the antibiotic that would normally be used to treat it! (SOURCE : https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/herbs-and-spices/health-benefits-of-coriander.html )
Ingredients.
1 small chicken
100ml tequila
100ml olive oil
100ml chicken stock
1 lime, juice of
1 lemon, cut in half
4 garlic cloves, chopped
30g coriander leaves, chopped roughly
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Method.
Preheat your oven to 200c / 180c (Fan) / Gas Mark 6
- Place your chicken in a casserole dish and smother all over with the smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.
- Combine the tequila, olive oil, chicken stock, juice of 1 lime, chopped garlic and chopped coriander in a bowl and mix well.
- Pour this on top of the chicken and ensure that there is a good covering of the coriander and garlic on the top of the bird and its legs.
- Place the fruit of the lime inside the carcas, along with a lemon that’s been cut in half.
- Cover the top of the chicken with a piece of foil and cook in the oven for 45 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, discard the foil, and start to spoon over the juices from the pan and replace in the oven for a further 45 minutes, spooning over the juices a twice more within the 45 minutes.
- Check that the chicken is cooked by piercing the thickest part and ensuring juices run clear. If in doubt, give it ten minutes more and check again.
Once the chicken has been demolished, don’t just throw the carcass away- use it the next day to make a lovely soup. I will be making a collection of Bone Broths soon and highlighting their fantastic medicinal properties.
