Bombay-Style Roast Chicken
This dish comes from a Soviet-era take on an Indian idea — meat with sweet fruit and warm spices — which is where the nod to Bombay (Mumbai) comes from. A whole chicken is marinated in brandy, honey, and spices, seared to a crust, then finished in a 200C (about 400F) oven while you baste it with marinade and broth. The sauce is made right in the pan from the roasting juices, with syrup and pieces of canned fruit stirred in, so the fruit’s sweetness balances the heat of the seasoning.
Worth noting: marinate the chicken at least an hour, longer if you can, so the honey and brandy soften the meat a little and help it crust up when seared.
- Read “dry seasoning” as a curry or garam-masala blend; that’s what carries the Indian character.
- In place of canned compote (fruit stewed in sweet syrup, sold jarred across Eastern Europe), use fresh or canned apricots, peaches, or mango for a more authentic flavor.
- Baste regularly, or the top dries out before the thighs cook through.
Serve with steamed rice to soak up the spiced sauce, and let the chicken rest a few minutes before carving so the juices redistribute.
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Ingredients
Instructions
Make the marinade and generously coat the chicken inside and out. Leave for 1 hour.
Shake off the excess marinade, salt the bird, and sear it in oil to a golden crust.
Place in an oven heated to 200C on the lowest rack. Roast for 1 hour, basting periodically with the marinade and broth.
Set the finished chicken in a warm place. Boil the roasting juices with 4 tablespoons of compote syrup and the broth. Stir the dry seasoning into this mixture.
Set aside some of the fruit for garnish, dice the rest, add it to the sauce, and warm through. Add sugar, pepper, and brandy to taste.
Serve steamed rice on the side.
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