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Is there anything we love more on a Friday night than a spicy, indulgent chicken roast that gives you those weekend feels even before Saturday has arrived? Of course not, but it’s better still when the chicken dish is spiced with Cajun flavours. Here’s why.
Cajun food, in case you didn’t know, is basically from the southern part of the United States, particularly the state of Louisiana. It’s popular for its intense spiciness, which is also something that resonates with most Indians. Cajun cuisine was basically created by Acadian immigrants who were French settlers in Canada in the seventeenth century. But when the British conquered that part of North America in 1755, the Acadians were deported to the southern part of the continent. They settled in Lousiana, and there, gradually, with the influences of rural French cooking and ingredients available locally, Cajun cuisine was born.
Today, Cajun cooking includes fish, seafood, meat, vegetables like bell peppers, and intense spices like cayenne and black pepper. Influenced further by Native American, African American and Latin American cuisines, Cajun cuisine has continued to evolve into something that most Indians would love to eat. If that’s not reason enough to kick off your weekend with some Cajun food, then here’s more.
When I first started experimenting with Cajun cuisine, I discovered that not only are these recipes easy to cook and nutritious, but they also tend to have a longer shelf life is stored properly. The spices used in Cajun cooking are intense already and easy to use, but when you make a whole chicken roast with them—or use whole chicken legs to do the roasting—the results are amazing. Not only do the smokey flavours work really well, but they also intensify with time—so the leftovers actually taste even better! Moreover, a Spicy Cajun Chicken Roast is also something that makes for a great party food. The best bit, you can pair the Spicy Cajun Chicken Roast with any kind of chutney or mayo, as well as with a whole range of salads, pulaos and naan. Don’t believe us? Give the recipe for a Spicy Cajun Chicken Roast a try.
Ingredients:
4-5 whole chicken legs
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp black pepper powder
2 tbsp oregano
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp ghee
Method:
1. Place the onion powder, minced garlic, cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, black pepper powder, oregano and salt in a large bowl.
2. Add the ghee and mix well to combine all the spices well.
3. Wash, clean and dry the chicken legs.
4. Rub the spice blend into the chicken legs and let them marinate for half an hour.
5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes.
6. Place the marinated chicken on a lined tray and roast in the oven for 40 minutes at 200 degrees.
7. Serve the Cajun Chicken Roast with chutneys and a fresh salad.
