Continuing on with our series of how to re-create cruise line quality food in the comfort of your own home (you can read our last post here) we bring you the recipe for Jacques rotisserie chicken, a main dining room staple on all of Oceania’s ships as well as featuring in Jacques restaurant Bistro on-board Marina and Riviera
Jacques Pepin is a world famous, Michelin starred, French chef who lives in America. As well as appearing as a guest chef on numerous TV shows, writing countless cook books, running his own line of restaurants and working as the personal chef to Charles De Gaule he’s partnered with Oceania Cruises to create some of their most famous (and tasty) signature dishes….
Whilst technically this recipe works best on a rotisserie, don’t worry, it will taste almost as good done in a traditional oven. We can’t guarantee your chicken will be as good as Jacques (for that you’ll need to book your own Oceania cruise) but they have shared the recipe with us so you can give it a go at home….
Ingredients (to serve four)
Secret (or not so secret now) Dry Rub blend
Two bay leaves
Two tablespoons dried Thyme
A tablespoon AND a teaspoon of dried rosemary
A tablespoon AND a teaspoon of dried sage
One and a half teaspoons of dried basil
One teaspoon of dried oregano
A quarter cup of rock salt
Two tablespoons of sweet paprika
One teaspoon of ground ginger
Three quarters of a teaspoon of ground coriander
Three quarters of a teaspoon of ground mace
Half a teaspoon of white pepper
Half a teaspoon of ground cloves
One quarter teaspoon of ground cardamom
One whole chicken, medium sized
Canola oil
Fleur de sel
For the Dry Rub:
With a pestle and mortar combine the bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage, basil and oregano and grind down to a coarse powder. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and stir in the salt, paprika, ginger, coriander, mace, white pepper, cloves and cardamom.
For the Chicken:
If you’re using a rotisserie then instructions may vary depending on manufacturer so follow the instructions carefully. If you’re using an oven pre-heat to gas mark six.
Place the chicken on a work surface and thread a long piece of butcher’s string under the wings. Bring it up over the bird and tie, securing the wings in place. Then, tie the drumsticks together with a separate piece of string.
Please note: This step is less important if you’re oven roasting the chicken but will still help it cook more evenly.
To Season and Cook the Chicken:
To help the Dry Rub stick apply a very thin drizzle of canola oil to the chicken and then take your rub and massage an even coating all over the chicken until it’s completely covered.
Place on the rotisserie or in the oven on a roasting pan. The chicken will be ready after about one and a half hours. If you stab the meatiest part of the thigh the juices should run clear (or if you’re fancy and have a kitchen thermometer it should register around 165 °F).
To Serve:
Let the chicken rest for around ten minutes then serve with your favourite side. Our recommendation would be a fresh green salad and some crusty bread but that’s up to you.
Make sure you post in the comments below how your chicken turned out!
Oceania Cruises are an American cruise line specialising in an informal but elegant cruising experience with a high focus on food (as you can see above).
They describe themselves as a five star premium cruise line although a lot of their guests compare them to the ultra-luxury brands – As you can see from some of these reviews.
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