In this post: Garam Masala & Herb Brown Butter Roasted Chicken and the Feed a Bee Initiative

On the most basic level, this post is really about butter. The power of it, the ease of it, the trickiness of it, and perhaps above all else – the versatility of it. Here we’re taking an otherwise run-of-the-mill bird and kicking it up several dozen notches into another stratosphere entirely. I present to you, this Garam Masala and Herb Brown Butter Roasted Chicken.

By simply adding some powerhouse flavor elements into the butter, and then getting it all toasty and nutty by browning it, you are better equipped to help your chicken be all that it can be. Sound like overkill here? Too hyperbolic for a humble chicken? Maybe. I tend to wax a little poetic when I food write just before dinner time (which is what I’m doing as I type this). But still. The combination of the browned butter, garlic, herbs, and Garam masala make for a deliciously flavor-packed compound butter that will turbo boost anything with which you choose to pair it. Plus, the golden glow (from the turmeric in the spice blend) is pretty fetching. Need something new and fresh for your holiday turkeys? This butter’s for you. Use it to toss some basic seasonal veggies with just before roasting or even use it to quickly toast up some breadcrumbs to top any number of holiday casseroles. The possibilities? Endless.

So yes – versatility is the name of the game here and it is the sheer flexibility of this butter that makes it worth keeping around.  When schmeared all over a bird surrounded by juicy fresh apples and pears and sent into a hot oven, it definitely helps take an ordinary chicken into truly special territory.

Now, I’d like to take this post beyond that most basic, buttery level and talk a little bit about something that matters greatly to me. I’d like to zoom in and focus on the burst of fresh herbs going on throughout this recipe – butter included – and discuss why I’m shining a spotlight on them today. Wait, what? You wonder. Allow me to explain.

In case you missed it in my previous post, I’ve recently partnered with the Feed a Bee initiative to help shine a light on their incredibly important work to increase pollinator forage across the United States. In essence – they’re working to feed the bees so the bees can feed us. To say that honey bees are an important component of our eco and agricultural systems is truly an understatement and doing what we can to ensure that pollinators have ample forage to do their thing is crucial – and they’re in trouble more now than ever. Please visit the Feed a Bee site to learn how you can very easily contribute to this effort.

As for me? In addition to planting pollinator-friendly flowers all over my own property, I like to keep the bees in mind when I do my grocery shopping. Did you know that it is possible to help the bees by simply supporting the agricultural producers who specialize in bee-friendly forage? I didn’t realize this until my recent work with Feed a Bee, but it seems so simple and so obvious when you think about it. Take the herbs in this recipe for example. The sage, oregano, and rosemary all make fantastic forage for pollinators. Plus, they’re incredibly delicious and wonderful flavor weapons in the kitchen. So, try weaving more pollinator-friendly ingredients, like fresh herbs and edible flowers, into your cooking as a way of showing solidarity to our sugar mamas, the honey bees.

While I don’t love the idea of their sting, I’ve long appreciated our little buzzing friends and the crucial (and frankly, amazing) contribution they make to our own food system. Plus, they create my favorite single ingredient of all time. This blog didn’t get its name for no reason, after all.

Check the Feed a Bee site for more details and go make this chicken! Enjoy guys.

Print

Garam Masala & Herby Brown Butter Roasted Chicken

A simple, yet highly flavorful roasted chicken recipe whose special flavor weapon - the Garam masala and garlicky herbed brown butter - works just as well for roasted turkeys, turkey breasts, roasted veggies, and even Cornish game hens. 

Course Main Course

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 1 4lb. organic whole chicken
• 5 tablespoons salted butter melted
• 2 tsp Garam masala Indian spice blend
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary finely chopped, plus extra sprigs for stuffing
• Sprig of fresh oregano finely chopped, plus extra sprigs for stuffing
• Sprig of fresh thyme finely chopped, plus extra sprigs for stuffing
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• Fresh apples or pears or both, halved and quartered
• 1 cup fresh cranberries

Instructions

1. Prep the bird by generously coating and rubbing it down with salt and cleaning the cavity (take out the innards). Place the chicken in a baking pan and set aside.

2. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. In a small saucepan, melt the butter until it begins to bubble; about 3 to 4 minutes. Lower the heat, add the Garam masala and let simmer until browned; about 3 to 4 more minutes. Remove from the heat and add the garlic powder and the chopped herbs. Stir to evenly combine and pour into a small bowl or ramekin, and place into the fridge until it solidifies again, but is not fully chilled (you want it soft and spreadable).

3. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper (including inside the cavity). Stuff the extra herbs under the skin and inside the cavity, being careful not to rip the skin. Slather the herby, garlicky Garam masala butter all over the chicken, covering every bit. Arrange/scatter the fruit all around the chicken. A nod to a classic fruit chutney or compote, this fruit will roast up and absorb the flavor and seasonings of the chicken drippings as it sits in the hot oven.
4. Roast the chicken for 15 to 20 minutes at 375 and then lower the temp to 350 degrees F and roast for 20 minutes per pound. Continue baking until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh.
5. Allow the chicken to rest for several minutes before slicing into it. Serve alongside the roasted fruit from the pan, or your favorite veggies, and enjoy.

 *This post is sponsored by the Bayer Feed a Bee Initiative

Garam Masala & Herb Brown Butter Roasted Chicken

Garam Masala & Herb Brown Butter Roasted Chicken

Garam Masala & Herb Brown Butter Roasted Chicken