Serve this spice-roasted chicken with buttered egg noodles and steamed green beans.
Grandma’s Polish-Style Roast Chicken
Serve this spice-roasted chicken with buttered egg noodles and steamed green beans.
Ingredients
- 2 chickens (3 1/2-4 pounds each)
- 1 onion peeled and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
- 2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper plus more to taste
- 1 14- ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
- ⅓ cup vodka
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream (optional)
Instructions
- Position oven rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare chickens: Remove giblets. Place hearts, necks and gizzards in roasting pan and reserve livers for another use. Remove excess fat with a sharp knife. Dry insides with a paper towel. Loosen skin over breasts and thighs with your fingers to make pockets, being careful not to tear the skin.
- Combine onion, garlic, paprika, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor or blender; puree until smooth.
- Spread 1/4 cup onion puree in the bottom of a roasting pan. Place chickens in pan, at least 1 inch apart. Rub 1 tablespoon puree into each cavity and spread remaining puree under skin. Tuck wings back and tie legs.
- Roast chickens for 20 minutes. Drizzle with 1/4 cup broth and roast for 40 minutes more, basting with pan drippings every 20 minutes. Tent the chickens with aluminum foil and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 180 degrees F and the cavity juices run clear, about 30 minutes more .
- Transfer the chickens to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm; leave the giblets in pan.
- Pour the pan juices into a bowl and chill in freezer for 10 minutes to bring fat to the surface. Meanwhile, add remaining chicken broth and vodka to roasting pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, scraping up any browned bits adhering to the pan. Add any juices accumulated on chicken platter.
- Skim off fat from the chilled pan juices. Add the juices to roasting pan and return to a boil. Strain the juices through a fine sieve into a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Blend water and cornstarch in a small bowl; whisk into the simmering gravy. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Whisk in dill and sour cream, if using. Season with salt and pepper.
- Carve the chickens, discarding skin. Serve with the gravy.
