Pump up the volume on your roasted chicken!

Are you a chicken fan? Love the bird BBQ'd, fried or roasted? Me, too! I'm a fan of "white" meat especially turkey. But the flavor can be a bit bland and I'd rather have the flavor enhanced than drowned by gravy or sauces.

If you agree venture to the wild side with me for a moment. I typically follow the rule of salt, freshly ground black pepper and olive oil. Creates a nice crust and seasons the chicken perfectly.
However, yesterday I needed a creative outlet after long day of bureaucratic nonsense with the State and Alameda Courts...trust me its a long story, not worth delving into the details.  Anywho, I expressed my creativity via cooking. Instead of a minimalist approach to seasoning I used all my senses. Taste, sight, smell to amplify and enrich the flavor.

I used a combination of the following fresh seasoning:
Fine Sea Salt
Cracked fresh black pepper
White pepper
Dried basil
Dried thyme
Red pepper flakes

Seasoned chicken (apres cooking). Layered flavors of multiple complimentary seasoning.
Seasoning purchased at Oakalnd Spice Shop

First apply the basic salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Next apply the enhanced seasoning on top of the olive oil layer. Mind you the seasoning is not applied liberally. More like a soft dusting.
Rest the chicken on bed of hearty greens, in this case kale, and onions and lemons slices. Roast at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Once cooked set aside to rest for 10 minutes, covered by aluminum foil.

Warning: Found out kale that is exposed will turn into flavorful chips. Tasty, but not expected results. Kale under chicken stays moist and perfectly wilted. Both were delicious. 

After chicken has rested serve warm either whole, sliced on top of a salad. Or, in my case today's lunch as a pita pocket filling.

Where did I get the spices? Oakland Spice Shop in Grand Ave. Great prices,freshly grounded and such knowledge friendly staff. It's mecca for me.

Try the recipe and share your thoughts and comments, love to hear from you.

Remember cooking with love makes everything taste better.