This recipe for roast chicken and carrots is a combination of two I clipped from the NY Times this year. The idea for slow roasting the carrots came from a column by Mark Bittman, and Martha Rose Shulman used the spice mixture in a recipe for “Roasted Carrots With Turmeric and Cumin” (she based hers on one by Suzanne Goin in the “The A.O.C. Cookbook”). Not much is entirely new in the kitchen! This combination of spices is addictive and I thought it would go well with chicken. It was a great success!
Slow Baked Chicken with Carrots, Turmeric, Cumin, and Coriander (Serves 4)
Slow Baked Chicken with Carrots
- Two bunches of medium sized carrots, peeled and tops trimmed
- 8 chicken thighs
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds, toasted
- 1 tablespoon of coriander seeds, toasted
- 1 tablespoon of turmeric
- 1 tablespoon of Aleppo pepper or mild chili powder
- 3 tablespoons of softened butter
- ½ cup of fresh mint, chopped, as garnish
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Place a large roasting pan in the oven to heat.
Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small skillet. Watch them carefully to make sure they don’t burn. Remove them to a small plate and cool. Once cool grind them in a mortar and pestle or mini food processer. Combine with the turmeric and chili pepper, then all with the softened butter. Set aside.
Season the chicken thighs with salt. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook on medium to medium-high heat until the skin is golden brown and they release easily from the skillet. Turn and brown the other side. You may need to do this in two batches. Remove the thighs to a large plate or platter.
Toss the carrots with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the fresh thyme leaves.
Without pouring off any oil, add the carrots to the skillet. Cook, turning them as they brown, until lightly caramelized all over. Remove them to the plate with the chicken.
Turn off the heat under the skillet and add the butter and spice mixture. Scrape up any crusty bits. Remove the hot roasting pan from the oven and add the contents of the skillet to the roasting pan. Add the chicken (plus any accumulated juices) and the carrots to the pan, turning to coat with the spice mixture. Try to spread things out so you have a single layer, keeping the chicken skin side up. Careful with the hot roasting pan, hold it with a thick potholder.
Add additional salt as needed and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with the mint leaves.