FLOUR AND WATER CRUST CHICKEN

When I saw this recipe on Jamie Oliver’s “Happy Days with the Naked Chef” cook book, I knew immediately that I must make this flour and water crust chicken. As weird as the title sounds, this chicken tastes incredibly tender and good. It is also very easy to make and you can find the ingredients in your kitchen most of the time. Not to mention if you are making this for your guests or loved ones, they will be so impressed when you crack the crust open in front of them, the steaming hot chicken and the aroma that bursts out when you crack the crust open is indescribable. You gotta try it to know what I mean. I love the Naked Chef! Not only his recipes are relatively easy, he also uses lots of fresh herbs and ingredients. He’s such an inspiration.

FLOUR AND WATER CRUST CHICKEN (4 servings)

2 lbs all-purpose flour
4 pieces of 1 1/2 lbs-leg quarters or one of 4 1/2 lb-hen
Fresh thyme (leaves picked)
Fresh Sage (leaves picked)
Dash of salt and pepper
2 lemons (peeled and sliced) – save few slices to tuck inside the chicken or under the skin
8 cloves of garlic (peeled)
4 Tbsp of olive oil
2 C of water

MAKING THE CRUST:

1. Mix all-purpose flour with water a bit by a bit. You may not need the whole 2 Cups. If you get a stretchy and sticky dough, you can stop adding the water already. I used about 1 1/2 Cups of water. Cover the dough and set it aside

2. Prepare the marinade for chicken by bashing the lemon slices, sage, thyme and garlic with mortal and pestle

3. Rub the chicken with the marinade and tuck in the lemon slices that you set aside earlier

4. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll each out to 1/4″ thick

5. Place the chicken in the middle of the dough and wrap the dough around the chicken. This will create an air-tight compartment for your chicken. Leave it for 5 minutes

6. Preheat the oven to 425 F and bake for one hour. The crust will be brown and charred a bit, but that’s okay, we are not going to eat the crust. The crust is there to maintain the juiciness and tenderness of the chicken

7. Let them cool for about 15 minutes before cracking them open

8. Serve with potatoes and salad and watch your guests or loved ones be impressed 😉