I love cooking ……. wait actually I love planning, the stage where I plan what to cook, shop, cut, marinate and get everything ready. I do not like rushing and last minute stuff but I suppose at a push if I need to I can rustle up a simple meal. However I prefer a well planned and executed meal where I have time to shower and be presentable. As a lovely couple is popping to mine for lunch I decided one of the dish will be this easy Salt & Pepper chicken.
My mother is the type that bought me 3inches high heels and made me walk a straight line when young. She believes that a ‘wife’ must not only be able to cook but also look presentable.
This dish is just so simple. The night before I washed and gave my chicken a massage and marinate the inside with salt, pepper and 5 spice powder. Nothing else. Wrap and keep in the fridge all ready for the oven tomorrow. So I highly recommend this dish as you have a nice juicy chicken as one dish without much stress.
In my rush to serve I have not taken much pics. I totally blame my guests for telling me they are arriving earlier than expected for lunch. Only remembered to take a pic of the roasted chicken after I sliced the first piece! The next time I roast another I must remember to take some more pics.
TIP – Buy a good corn fed chicken and make sure your pepper is freshly ground Sarawak’s. Good ingredients are very important if your dish is simple. There is no where to hide.
NOTE – If you like to serve with a sauce, after removing the chicken you will find there are some juice. Add a lump of butter and mix. You won’t regret it. However if you pan to do so do NOT use sesame oil. It taste a lot better with just chicken juice and butter.
Salt & Pepper chicken with cast iron pan
Equipment
- Cast iron pan
Ingredients
- a chicken
- salt & pepper
- Chinese 5 spice
- Sesame oil
- butter (optional)
- Garlic (optional)
Instructions
- Firstly washed the chicken clean, remove the innards, rubbed with salt and massage then rinse clean and dry with kitchen towel.
- Secondly mix a tsp each of salt, 5 spice and black pepper. I must stress highly to have freshly ground salt & black pepper (I only eat Sarawak pepper.
- Thirdly heat your cast iron pan at 200C….then drizzle in sesame or peanut oil or garlic and shallots oil, like me onto your cast iron pan. Placed your chicken in and bunked it into the oven for 60 minutes to 70 minutes to roast at 180C (turned tempt down)
- You can baste it during baking however many times you like. Thus this extremely simple Salt & Pepper chicken is cooked.