Paprika Roast Chicken

By Angelika Hanna

One memory of my childhood in Germany is the roasted paprika chicken. Lucia, a Polish woman in my small hometown made the best chicken I have ever tasted in her little butcher shop, and there was never anybody else who roasted chicken like Lucia: her chicken were crispy and juicy, spicy and flavorful. One could smell her paprika chicken from far away out of her shop, and there were long waiting lines every single day of the week.

I never attempted to roast a paprika chicken until now. Of course, it did not taste the same as Lucia’s chicken – but pretty close. I love the smokey paprika flavor on the crispy chicken skin.

Uncooked Paprika Chicken

Recipe:

Prep Time: 5-10 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 25 min

Total Time: 1 hr 35 min (plus 30 min warming time (before cooking), plus 15 min resting time (after cooking)

Yield: 4-6 servings

Cuisine: European

Author: Angelika Hanna / Zest4Food

Ingredients:

• One 1.6 kg whole chicken
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp smoked Hungarian sweet paprika
• 1 tsp hot Spanish paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 min before you want to cook it. Let it come up to room temperature. Place it in a roasting tray.
2. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Mix the oil, salt, pepper, and paprika to a thick paste.
4. Brush all over the chicken as well as inside the cavity.
5. If your chicken is not already tied up from the store, tie it up with string for even roasting results. (Tip: Watch Jamie Oliver’s YouTube tutorial video on how to tie up a chicken.)
6. Cook the chicken for 10 min at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Cook the chicken for 1 hr 15 min until the internal temperature is 165 degrees Fahrenheit or until juices run clear.
9. When the chicken is cooked, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the chicken to a board/plate, cover with aluminum foil and rest for 15 min.

Enjoy!