Herbed Chicken ala Pobre

Description:
Wonderful things do come out of the kitchen when you're in a hurry. This recipe came about in an effort to make dinner in less than 30 minutes. It has been a lazy Black Saturday and we were all busy watching "8 Below" that I forgot to marinade the chicken ahead to make it into chicken teriyaki. Anyway, this recipe is similar to my Roast Chicken with Garlic and Herbs, but this one can be done in a jiffy and very healthy too. But the crowning glory of this dish is the crunchy browned bits of garlic on top. This recipe will now be a regular at mealtime, whether I'm in a hurry or not.

Ingredients:
Skinless chicken thigh fillets
McCormick Italian Seasoning
Salt (I use pink salt)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Garlic, minced roughly


Directions:
Lightly brush chicken fillets with extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and Italian seasoning on both sides. Be generous with the herbs!
Place chicken on a roasting rack then sprinkle with garlic.
Bake in a turbo broiler or oven pre-heated at 350F, and cook for about 18-20 minutes or until the garlic is golden brown and the chicken is done, depending on the thickness of the chicken.
Do not overcook or the chicken will be tough.
Serve right away.

Roast Chicken with Garlic and Herbs

Description:
After five attempts of roasting chicken, I now present you my tested roast chicken recipe which is perfect not just for the holidays, but it will be wonderful for noche buena! I'll be making variations of this roast chicken recipe, but for the time being, this one is wonderful. Take note though, that you have to consider the time in preparing for this chicken. But it will be worth it, I promise. I always use the chicken drippings to make a light gravy (I omit the butter). Please look for the gravy recipe in my site for the basic directions.

Ingredients:
1.4 kilos whole chicken, giblets removed

Brine solution:
1.8 liters cold water
3 tablespoons fine sea salt or table salt
4.5 tablespoons white sugar
1 head garlic, papery skins removed, cloves separated, unpeeled and crushed
3 bay leaves, crumbled

Herb rub:
Juice of one lemon (Put squeezed lemon in chicken’s cavity.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 whole garlic, finely minced
3 tablespoons Italian seasoning dried herbs
*You may opt to add more fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary.
Salt and pepper



Directions:
Let chicken soak in brine solution in the refrigerator for at least two hours, but no longer than five or six hours. Pour off the brine, then pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

Combine all the ingredients for the herb rub. Rub the entire chicken with this mixture. Place chicken in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Place chicken in roasting rack/pan and roast at 350F for about 1 hour and 30 minutes, until thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165-170. I usually flip the chicken after one hour, to cook the other side. Pour 1 cup water in roasting pan to make sure drippings don’t burn. Add more water as needed.

Let chicken rest for 15 minutes before carving.