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Prep time
12 hours
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Cook time
1 hour 15 minutes
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Serves
4 to 6
Author Notes
If you plan on spending Christmas with just a small group of people and turkey has often been the centerpiece of your past holiday meals and you still want to evoke these nostalgic memories, opt for chicken! Since a certain pandemic, we have nevertheless developed a taste for parties in small groups of 4 to 6 people, so we must adapt the gargantuan menus with which holidays are often synonymous. The Christmas turkey is a large bird that may take a week to eat, so I present to you my famous little Gin and Juniper Christmas Roasted Chicken!
I call it “Christmas Chicken,” but honestly, it’s a classic that I make all year round! The method is simple and impossible to fail. Cooking is quick (even if you make it with turkey). You will only have to allow a maceration time of at least 12 hours, that's all. So the day before, you make the marinade and the next evening you put it in the oven. That's all. I'll give you the variation in the notes below the recipe if you choose to make it with turkey.
It’s a sure hit, my friends! I also suggest a little pearl onion and gin gravy to accompany your poultry. Flavored with gin, it adds to the party and is prepared with your eyes closed. All you have to do is accompany your Christmas meal with a side of your choice.
—Jonathan Michaud
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Ingredients
- INGREDIENTS FOR THE CHICKEN
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1
organic farm chicken, cut into 4 pieces
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3 teaspoons
coarse kosher salt
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2 tablespoons
juniper berries, crushed
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1 teaspoon
coriander seeds, toasted and crushed
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1 teaspoon
black peppercorns, crushed
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1/4 cup
gin
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1/4 cup
cold butter, diced
- INGREDIENTS FOR THE GRAVY
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12 to 15
red or white pearl onions, peeled
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4
garlic cloves, finely chopped
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1 teaspoon
juniper berries, crushed
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3 tablespoons
butter
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3 tablespoons
all-pupose flour
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1/4 cup
gin
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4 cups
low sodium beef stock
Directions
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In a large dish, place the chicken pieces. In a small bowl, combine salt and spices. Sprinkle salt mixture over chicken. Drizzle with gin. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight. Drain and pat dry the poultry and discard the marinade.
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Place the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chicken on the baking sheet and coat it with the butter. Bake for at least 1 hour or until a thermometer inserted in the center of the breast reads 165°F. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
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For the pearl onion sauce: While the chicken is roasting, in a sauce pan over medium heat, soften the onions and garlic in the butter with the juniper berries. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well to coat and lightly cook the flour. Deglaze with gin without letting it reduce too much and add the beef stock. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Salt and pepper. Add the chicken cooking juices accumulated at the bottom of the pan for even more flavor.
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Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve with the pearl onion sauce and accompaniments of your choice.
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NOTE:
If you want to try this recipe with a whole turkey, choose a fresh turkey of around 24lbs cut into 4 pieces by your kind butcher (hence the importance of making friends with them). The proportions for the marinade are approximately the same. Simply double all the ingredients. For cooking, same principle: place on a baking sheet, butter the pieces and cook at 400°F for 1h30 or until a thermometer inserted in the center of the breast indicates 165°F. Leave to rest for 15 minutes. 1h30 to cook a turkey, you will agree, it’s pretty awesome!
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