ROAST CHICKEN

WHEN weekends come around, the thought of a long wait at a restaurant or a hawker centre is sometimes enough to put you off dining out.

At times like these, you just want to stay at home and have a fuss-free meal.

One way is to do a roast chicken.

It is one of the easiest dishes to whip up, and chicken, especially minus the skin, is healthy.

There are many recipes for roast chicken. Some call for herb stuffings while others require plenty of seasoning and basting.

Ms Judy Koh of Creative Culinaire, a cooking studio in Eng Hoon Street in Tiong Bahru, has a simple recipe that requires none of the above yet produces a moist and flavourful dish.

An ordinary oven suffices here, and preparation is easy.

Before you get going, here are some tips on getting a succulent, moist bird.

Always use fresh chicken instead of frozen poultry.

Don't cook meat directly from a refrigerator. Leave it at room temperature for at least one hour.

Put the chicken onto a rack placed inside a large and shallow tray so that there is enough room for the bird to cook properly and crisp up nicely. You can put vegetables like carrots and potatoes to bake together with the chicken.

To check if the bird is cooked, use a skewer to poke through the thickest part of its thigh. The juices should run clear if it is done. If there are blood streaks in the juices, cook the bird a little longer.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to stand for about 10 minutes. This will let the juices settle and it will also be easier to handle and cut up.

Creative Culinaire is at 20 Eng Hoon Street, tel: 6324-1663.

ROAST CHICKEN (serves 4)

INGREDIENTS
1 spring chicken (1 - 1.3kg)
1 Tbs light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs ginger juice
1 tsp sherry
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

GARNISHES
2 medium potatoes, a few tomatoes, a few stalks of parsley

METHOD
1. Marinade chicken with the above ingredients for at least 8 hours (4 hours will do if you are in a hurry).
2. Preheat oven at 175 deg C with turbo if your oven has a fan. Otherwise, just bake it at 175 deg C. Put chicken on a wire rack with a tray below to collect juices and oil. Pour some of the marinade over the chicken and inside the cavity.
3. Bake it breast side down for 45 minutes. Then turn it over and bake it breast side up for 15 minutes. You can cut potatoes into wedges and bake with the chicken. Put them in when you first start baking.
4. Garnish with the tomatoes, potato wedges and parsley.