Spiced Paprika Chicken
The weather in Maine is officially in fall mode. I went for a hike a few weeks ago and looked out from the top at the tapestry of color formed by all the changing leaves. Now that I am back from the island for the winter, I’ve settled back into my normal routine of writing, cooking, writing, cooking, and working on the house. Earlier this fall, my parents and I started scraping the exterior of the house and preparing it for a fresh coat of paint.
Painting the house has been a series of negotiations between Anthony and me. When we bought the house a few years ago, it was and remains light green with a red foundation, and white trim. It is not that I don’t like green exterior houses or that I am afraid of color. In fact, I actually like the color of the house. I wanted a change however and change is what we have settled on. After, literally years, we have agreed to paint the house flannel gray with dark charcoal (almost black) foundation. The detached garage will be a different color but we don’t know what quite yet. It should be quite sharp, hopefully. It could also look a little drab, you never know.
House projects aside, I am excited to be back in the kitchen coming up with new recipes and tweaking old. I have a lot of fresh ideas that I can’t wait to share. I will also be posting a series of recipes and articles dedicated to the upcoming holidays.
This week, we have Spiced Paprika Chicken. Anthony and I had dinner at a new restaurant in Cape Porpoise this summer and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. We shared this grilled chicken that was AMAZING. Cooked over a wood fire and covered in spices, it was juicy, tender, and full of flavor. This recipe isn’t exactly the same but the combination of smoked paprika, chili powder, and cinnamon really delivers a mouthful of flavor. A little lemon juice at the end brightens things up and pulls out even more flavor. The best part, this came together in less than an hour, uses simple ingredients, and is flavorful without being overly spicy.
Spiced Paprika Chicken
Ingredients
2 chicken halves
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 and pat the chicken dry with paper towels and poke the skin with a sharp knife or a fork.
Mix the spices and oil together in a small bowl to create a paste. Using either your hands or a basting brush, coat the chicken on all sides with the spice paste and set aside to rest.
Place a wire rack on a cookie sheet and place the chicken on top of the rack. Roast the chicken for 45 minutes or until a thermometer reads 165. Remove from the oven and allow to rest. Serve with lemon wedges.
