Ayam Rosemary Berempah

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Sometimes it feels good to have someone at home to request you to make some of their favorite dishes.  And on that note, I would like to stress on the word 'sometimes'!  Enjoyable they may be, but on certain occasions you may not feel up to taking any requests.

Anyway, one of my daughters is having her long semester holiday (three months to be exact!) and like the rest of my children, she likes to at times eat food that are different from the ones usually prepared by her mom.  

Today was one of those occasions.  She opened her bedroom door, stared at me and her mom, and nonchalantly said that she wanted Rosemary Chicken for lunch.  Well, as usual I immediately scoured the internet for the recipe (I was in the mood to cook!) and found one by Secubitgaramnor67 and decided to give it a try.  Of course I did some minor tweaks especially to the jintan kasar (which I assumed to be fennel seeds)  I substituted it for cumin seeds.  My mother told me that cumin seeds are better with meat and chicken while fennel seeds with seafood.  So, I do as I'm told!

• 4 chicken legs
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 inch fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp black pepper corn
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp chicken stock granules
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 4 tbs olive oil
• 5 potatoes
• 6 baby carrots
• Some butter

Firstly, heat the olive oil and fry the garlic slices to make garlic crisps.  Reserve the oil.   Using a pestle and mortar, pound the rosemary, black pepper corn and cumin seeds until fine.  Scoop out and set aside.  Then pound the garlic crisps, ginger and garlic.  When fine, return the rosemary, black peppercorn and cumin to the pestle and mix with the sugar, lemon juice and chicken stock granules.  Rub this spice paste into the chicken and allow to marinate in the fridge for at least six hours.  Meanwhile par-cook the potatoes and carrots.

One hour before cooking, take out the chicken to allow it to return to room temperature.  15 minutes before cooking, preheat oven to 180 C.  Place chicken pieces in a roasting tin.  Toss the potatoes and carrots in the remaining marinade and place among the chicken pieces.  Dot small pieces of butter onto the chicken pieces and roast for 1 hour or until cooked.  Serve with black pepper sauce.