When I was planning this week’s menu, I thought Chinese recipes would be a great way to continue my recent Asian theme. Well, it sort of worked out that way for this recipe, anyway. This week’s recipes have one of my favorite seasonings in common, Chinese five-spice powder. There are variations, the brand I’ve used for many years is made of star anise, fennel, Szechuan peppercorn, cinnamon, and clove. I’ve always loved it on meat and seafood, so this Chinese 5 Spice Roast Chicken seemed like the perfect way to kick off this week. Let’s find out if it’s a hit!
This Roast Chicken with Chinese 5 Spice is something so special. Temp your taste-buds with this delectable tasting chicken recipe.
The Ingredients
There were only seven ingredients in this recipe, and a short list of ingredients always makes me smile. I had the honey and five-spice powder on hand, but I had to shop for the vegetables and chicken.
One thing to note about the leeks is they need to be cleaned thoroughly. Leeks trap dirt incredibly well, so be sure to thoroughly rinse it in a colander after you have cut it up. Washing before only cleans the outside, and you’ll find plenty of dirt inside, trust me.
I trimmed the root and tough green leaves so only the white part remains. Then I halved it lengthwise before slicing it into smaller pieces. The leek pretty much fell apart, but that ensured the dirt was completely rinsed away.
The Process
This roast chicken was so easy to make! My 12-inch cast-iron pan was ideal for this recipe. It had plenty of room for the whole chicken and vegetables. And about those vegetables–it’s not stated how anywhere in the recipe, but you’ll need to cut them up. I tried to keep them in large pieces since they would be roasting for a long time. They did end up being well done, but not overcooked. Next time I might try even larger pieces for the fennel and leek.
Besides the cast iron pan or something similar, you’ll need some twine to tie the legs and a basting brush to coat the chicken in a mixture of butter, honey, and five-spice powder.
And speaking of that mixture, it made the chicken skin turn black. I was very worried when I took it out of the oven because it was so charred! Thankfully, the meat was positively dripping with juices when I cut into it. I was amazed!
This recipe was quick and easy to prepare, but it did require a lot of time in the oven. Here is how my time was spent:
- 12 minutes of prep work
- 90 minutes to cook (my chicken was larger than the size listed)
- 20 minutes to rest
- 2 hours 2 minutes total
