Whole Masala Roast Chicken (Dairy-Free)

For Thanksgiving, instead of a turkey, I double this recipe (my edits are in parentheses) and make two Masala Roast Chickens (For one Chicken, half the amounts). They are outstandingly delicious. There are a lot of directions included for this recipe. I've been making these for years and have learned some helpful tips and tricks along the way.

 The original for this recipe is from MyFoodStory.com. 

Ingredients

1 Whole Chicken  (skin-on) (2 Draper Valley Farms Whole Chickens)

2 1/2 Tbsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder (3 parts paprika, 1 part cayenne) (7 Tbsp paprika, 3 Tbsp cayenne)

1 1/2 Tbsp ginger paste (2 Tbsp ground ginger or 2 *frozen ginger juice ice cubes)

1 Tbsp garlic paste (2 Tbsp ground garlic or 1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder)

1/2 Tbsp Pepper Powder (1 tsp white pepper powder or whole white peppers)

1 tsp jeera powder or cumin (1-2 tsp freshly ground cumin seeds) (optional)

(1-2 tsp freshly ground coriander seeds or 3-4 tsp if not adding cumin)

2 Tbsp honey (80 g)

1 1/2 Tbsp vinegar (Apple Cider Vinegar) (3 Tbsp)

50 g butter, melted (Earth Balance Unsalted Buttery Sticks)

Salt to taste 

(100 g canola oil)

At least 2 cups chicken broth (Swanson Natural Goodness Less Sodium Chicken Broth or other low sodium, non-MSG Chicken Broth)

1 Reynolds Kitchens Turkey Size Oven Bag

1 Giant Rack Roaster Pan

Directions

Remove the giblets, wash the chickens, and pat dry.

Mix together chili powder, ginger, garlic paste, pepper, jeera/coriander, honey, vinegar, butter, and salt into a smooth paste.

Apply the chili paste all over the chicken, (I wear nitrile/latex gloves for this part) into the crevices, and under the skin wherever there are gaps. Including inside the chicken.

Place the chickens and chicken broth into an oven-safe turkey bag. (I usually rest the chickens (in the sealed turkey bag) in the Giant Rack Roaster Pan at this time).

Cover and marinate the chickens for at least 2 hours or overnight. I highly recommend marinating them overnight in the refrigerator.

Remove the chickens from the fridge 45 minutes before cooking to let them come to room temperature (I don't always do this step, I don't like letting the raw chickens sit at room temp).

Make sure there is proper support when lifting the chickens in and out of the oven!

Bake in a preheated oven at 425°F 350° F (If using an oven bag, do not exceed 350° F) for 90 minutes or 1 1/2 hours 2 1/2 hours. Near the end of the baking time, cut a small hole in the oven bag and insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chickens to ensure they have reached 165°F (74° C). Remove from oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Do not cut into the chicken immediately. Cover and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. Trust me, the wait is worth it.

*If not using an oven bag, keep brushing the chicken with the fats and gravy from the pan every 30 minutes or so. Give it one final brush in the last 5 minutes. Once cooked, cover it with aluminum foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

Carefully open the oven bag and remove the chickens, but try and keep the bag mostly intact. Once the chickens are removed, very carefully (as it will probably still be hot), lift the oven bag out of the pan and hold a corner over a large bowl or container. Wait a bit for the oil to separate to the top and then cut a small slice in one of the bottom corners of the bag. Let the drippings pour out, making sure to stop the liquid before the oil is poured out as well. (Oil will rise to the top, which is why you cut a hole in the bottom). If you don't want to go through this process, use a gravy separator to divide the drippings from the oil. I would highly recommend saving the drippings, as my husband claims it makes the best gravy he has ever tasted. 

Use the drippings to make gravy by using a recipe of choice, or a gravy packet. Feel free to squeeze garlic and lemon on top of the chicken for an extra kick. 

(Once the chickens have cooled enough to handle, but are still warm, I usually remove and separate the meat using nitrile or latex gloves and put it in gallon-sized Ziploc bags to store in the refrigerator.)

Store extra chicken in the refrigerator. To reheat, cover a baking pan with aluminum foil and heat under low broil until just sizzling on the top.

*To make frozen ginger juice ice cubes, I purree washed ginger root sections in my high-speed blender with some water and then strain the juice through a nylon mesh (nut milk bag) and freeze the juice in ice cube trays. Once the ginger cubes are frozen, I transfer them to a gallon-size Ziploc freezer bag and store them in the freezer for several months.

Please appropriately recycle washed and dried Ziploc bags with other plastic film materials.