The other day I randomly asked my dad to pick up a whole chicken from the market. I honestly can’t even remember the last night I’ve roasted an entire chicken (except for holidays). So yeah, it’s a pretty rare request. I guess I wanted to plop a roasted bird down onto the table and get “ooo”s and “ahhh”s from my folks. And wanna know what? After they took a bite, the accolades poured out and everyone went back for second and thirds (and in the case of my mom, fourths!).
Don’t be intimated by cooking a whole chicken…this recipe actually requires less maintenance than just the breasts. All you gotta do is pat the thing dry, make a cocoa based rub, and slather it all over the chicken. After it sits in the fridge overnight, slip it into the oven so it can roast for over an hour. It cooks slowly so all the juices stay locked inside; keeping it incredibly moist. Actually, it’s such a unique smell with subtle savory wafts of chocolate, cinnamon, and garlic. It’s totally enticing.
Just remember that it’s a DARK rub…so it’s not burned (even though it looks a wee bit crackly)! At first I was worried it might have a charred taste, but this cocoa roasted chicken is perfectly cooked and succulent. Yay me for stepping slightly out of my box and making a whole bird! I think I might do it again soon!
5.5 lb chicken
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated)
1/2 – 1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Pepper to taste
Mix together all the seasonings with the oil and vinegar. It will be a thick paste.
Pat chicken dry. Sprinkle with a little salt/pepper. Rub with cocoa mixture. Cover and place in refrigerator for 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place chicken onto a roasting pan. Put pan into the oven and roast for 110 mins (20 mins for every pound).
Remove from oven. Cool for around 10 minutes before slicing.
Enjoy!
