A delicious, fiery, cast-iron skillet chicken recipe that cooks in the oven. Use store-bought jerk seasoning and combine it with a sweet Jamaican curry sauce. This is a restaurant-quality meal.
1 small Granny Smith applepeeled, seeded cut into 1/4" dice
¼ cup cilantrochopped
Instructions
Have your butcher remove the backbone from a whole chicken - or if you have a good pair of poultry sheets, carefully cut out the backbone, so that the chicken can be splayed open flat.
Rub the chicken all over with jerk seasoning. Transfer the chicken to a zip top storage bag or place on a platter and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
To cook the chicken: Take the chicken out of the refrigerator half an hour before you intend to cook it. Move the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven. Place a 10-12" cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 500°.
When the oven reaches 500°, use potholders to remove the skillet and place it on a heat safe surface. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down and return the skillet to the oven. Turn the oven temperature down to 450°.
Cook the chicken for 25-30 minutes, then carefully flip the chicken so that the skin side is up. Continue to cook for 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160°. (Safe temperature for chicken is 165°, but chicken continues to cook after you take it from the oven, so to avoid overcooking, I usually take it out just before reaching that temperature)
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, tent with tin foil and let it rest for 5-10 minutes so the juices can redistribute throughout the meat.
For the Curry Sauce:
While the chicken is roasting, add the apple juice and sugar to a small saucepan. Bring the apple juice mixture to a boil until the sugar dissolves, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half (10-15 minutes).
Stir in the curry powder and heavy cream continue to simmer and reduce the liquid by half again. Add the diced apples and season with kosher salt.
Carve the chicken and arrange it on a platter. Spoon curry sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with cilantro.
Video
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a low oven (about 325° for 10-12 minutes).