afoona
Whole Oven-Roasted Hen
Chicken

Whole Oven-Roasted Hen

A whole hen roasted in the oven with garlic, lemon, herbs and Middle Eastern seasoning

⏱ 1 hr 50 min🍽 4 servings 🌍 Israeli👩‍🍳 Afoona🧩 2 parts

👨‍🍳 Method

To assemble

  1. 1
    Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Mix the oil, butter, garlic, paprika, cumin, turmeric, lemon zest, salt and black pepper and rub the mixture into the chicken, including under the skin.
    💡Dry the chicken before seasoning so the mixture clings to the skin; a longer marinade gives deeper color and flavor.
  2. 2
    Put the lemon, rosemary sprigs and thyme sprigs into the cavity of the chicken.
  3. 3
    Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F).
    ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven
    💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
  4. 4
    Place the chicken in the center of the pan, breast side up.
    Baking pan
  5. 5
    Bake tightly covered with foil 60 minutes, until the chicken starts to cook.
    ⚙ BakingOvenAluminum foilBaking pan
    💡Bake covered so the chicken steams and stays juicy, then finish uncovered: only then does the skin brown and caramelize.
    💡Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.
  6. 6
    Bake uncovered 30 minutes, until the juices run clear.
    ⚙ BakingOvenBaking pan
  7. 7
    Take out the chicken and let it rest 10 minutes, and only then carve.
    KnifeCutting board
688calories
46 gprotein
4 gcarbs
53 gfat
● protein 27%● carbs 2%● fat 70%

Per serving (290 g), of 4 servings

To assemble ·

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⚖ About the ingredients

🔧 Tools needed (4) · 🍳 One cooking vessel

  • Oven · 💡 Workaround, changes the dish: Toaster oven (Fits one small pan; good for small batches) · Air fryer (Small batches only, no runny batters) · Pot (Only for covered stews on the stovetop, no browning on top)
  • Baking pan · Also works: Glass / ovenproof baking dish (None) · Disposable pan (None)
  • Cutting board · Also works: Plate (Large plate, dulls the knife)
  • Knife · Also works: Food processor (Fast, less control over size) · Kitchen shears (For herbs/dough)

🧻 Consumables: Aluminum foil

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