A combination of salt, sugar and paprika makes a great rub for meat, but to this I added some lemon and butter to make it more of a marinade than a rub.
The chicken came out moist, with a beautiful reddish-brown color. This is one of the easiest chicken recipes ever. While it has its own intrinsic flavor, it’s great when paired with a side of the cranberry-orange relish.
Paprika Butter Chicken
1 whole chicken
1 tbsp coarse salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp paprika
½ c butter, melted
1 lemon
Split the chicken in half lengthwise down the middle. Or, you can have the butcher or seller do this for you when you buy the chicken.
Combine the salt, sugar, paprika, melted butter and juice of one lemon. Stir together to mix well. Brush the mixture all over the chicken, making sure to cover all the sides. Reserve any remaining mixture.
Arrange the chicken in a turbo broiler, skin side down, and roast at 180°C (350°F) for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken over and brush with the remaining paprika butter mixture. Continue roasting the chicken at the same temperature for another 30 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
Serve with the cranberry-orange relish (see last week’s DIY recipe).
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Cook’s tips:
Before slicing the lemon, roll it on the kitchen countertop with the palm of your hand. This softens the lemon and makes it easier to extract the juice.
You can also cook the chicken in a conventional oven. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes before putting in the chicken, then follow the same instructions as for cooking the chicken in a turbo broiler.
Butter will melt faster if it’s at room temperature. Cut the butter into cubes then heat in a saucepan until almost melted; remove from the heat. The butter will continue to melt as you stir it with the rest of the ingredients.