Roasted "It turned out to taste a lot like kugel" Chicken

AC is really good at roasting chicken, has a million variations, and since the technique is so solid, he's consistent. This particular roast chicken was a surprising step-up. Not surprising in that we know what he is capable of in the kitchen, but surprising in a normal-weekday-night-not-a-lot-of-time-to-cook kind of way.

Using ingredients we had around the kitchen from other meals, AC created a roasted chicken that made both of us stand up and notice. It was reminiscent of kugel- a raisin, cinnamon-y casserole that is pure comfort food. The creamy cheese mixture, stuffed in between the skin and the meat was sweet, spicy and complex. The skin was perfectly crisp and the chicken perfectly moist and flavorful. The vegetable mix complemented the chicken perfectly- both of us cleaned our plates and ate way more than usual. So we thought we'd pass it on to see what you think.


In a small bowl place three cloves of  smashed garlic, 1/3 minced chile
and 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar and let it soak while you prepare the chicken.

Preheat your oven to 425*.


In a small mixing bowl, combine the following,
2/3 chopped hot chile
3 oz feta cheese
1 1/2 tbsp of plum preserves (or other slightly savory preserve)
black pepper to taste


Take 2 chicken, thigh/leg combos, and stuff the cheese mixture under the skin. Then sprinkle the outside of the chicken with salt, smoked paprika, 1 tsp dried rosemary and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Prep the following:
1-2 oz cured Italian salami sliced thin
1 can cannelini beans, rinsed
1/2 bell pepper (yellow) sliced
1/2 red onion, chopped roughly
5-6 crimini mushrooms, chopped in large pieces
1 cup cheap dry red wine
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp dried lavender
1/2 tsp of Kachai powder
black pepper and salt to taste
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tbsp bacon fat


Place the above ingredients and the smashed garlic-chile-balsamic mixture into an oven safe frying pan and bring to a boil on your stove top, let it boil for about 30 seconds. This is to basically heat the pan so it cooks faster in the oven.



Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and place in a 425* oven for 20-25 minutes.


Pull out, add 2 cups of spinach underneath the chicken, put back in oven and cook for an additional 5 min.