Beginner's Potluck

Thinking of what to bring to that holiday potluck party? This Spanish inspired Filipino dish duo is surprisingly easy to cook up. It's teeming with the lush and vibrant flavour of chorizo bilbao (Spanish sausage) and the aromatic, citrusy tang of roasted lemon garlic chicken. Just cook and go!

Iberian Chicken with Chorizo Fried Rice

Garlic Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken, at least 1 1/2 kilos
1/2 of a lemon
1bunch parsley
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 whole heads garlic, crushed and chopped coarsely
freshly ground black pepper (lots of it!)


Chorizo Fried Rice

3 tablespoons oil from chorizo Bilbao
2 tablespoons atsuete
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
5 pieces of Chorizo Bilbao, chopped
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups cooked rice, moistened with some water

1. Wipe the chicken dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with lemon juice. Place the used lemon and the parsley in to the chicken cavity. Rub coarse salt inside and outside the chicken. Pour the olive oil over the chicken, then rub chicken with the chopped garlic and black pepper.

2. Marinate the chicken inside the refrigerator,preferably overnight.

3. Bake the chicken, covered with foil, in a 400 fahrenheit oven for 30 minutes. Then remove the cover and continue baking for 30 to 45 minutes until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is tender.

4. In a skillet, heat the oil. Add the atsuete and toss until the oil is colored. Remove the seeds. Saute the onions,celery, and bell peppers. Add the chorizo and cook until almost crisp. Season with paprika, salt and pepper.

5. Add the rice and mix until well blended. Seve with the roast chicken.