CLAY POT TANDOORI CHICKEN

So Simple...So Quick

Once you have cooked in a Tandoori Clay Pot you will never go back!  The most moist succulent juiciest chicken you will ever eat, fall of the bone tender, aromatic from the spice rub and I don't know if it is the clay cooking pot or chicken brick as it's known in the south west but something adds another layer of flavour that you just can't get from a enamel, or cast iron roasting tin.

Prep time 5 minutes / Cooking time 55 minutes

Ingredients 

(serves family of 4)

1 whole chicken un-trussed 

100ml water

The Tandoori Spice Rub

(Store bought or make your own below)

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 coriander seeds

1 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp cayenne 

1 tsp turmeric 

Tandoori Spice Rub

Heat a non stick pan or skillet and warm the cumin and coriander seeds until warm, in a pestle and mortal grind the seeds then mix with the rest of ingredients, thats your spice rub done.  Keep in a air tight ball mason jar until needed.

Clay Pot Cooking

If you regularly cook with a clay Tandoori Pot or Chicken Brick you will know that you need to soak your cooking pot in cold water for 15 minutes before using, for you guys not in the know this is to prime the porous clay pot so that it does not suck up all your natural chicken stock cooking juices, if this was to happen you would have a cooked chicken but a very dry one! 

Pre heat your oven 180 C / 356 F.  Rub the chicken generously with your tandoor spices, place in your soaked clay pot and add the water, pop the lid on and place in your pre heated oven, a medium chicken will cook in 55 minutes, once cooked remove the clay pot from the oven and leave with the lid on to rest for around 15 minutes then serve and use the cooking juices as your gravy.  

If you keep back the cooking juices and leave to cool, pop in the fridge you will get chicken jelly, which I call chicken jipper, a sort of loaded chicken spread that is great on toast, or used as a stock for your next country chicken gravy.