Smoked Spice Blend
A Little Spice for Perfect Autumn Pairings
Bring the warm, savoury flavours of fall to your table with our Smoked Spice Blend. Rich, aromatic and gently smoky, this versatile seasoning adds delicious depth to roasted vegetables, grilled meats, hearty soups and cozy seasonal dishes. Made for everyday cooking and backyard BBQs alike, it’s the seasoning you’ll reach for again and again. Created to complement your favourite Monte Creek wines, it’s the essential finishing touch for gatherings, harvest dinners and evenings spent sipping and savouring.
Monte Creek Brined Chicken
For a standard 3.5 to 5 pound chicken you will need 1 cup of sea salt, and 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar. You will also need a container large enough to hold the chicken when completely submerged in water. Optional add ins are whole peppercorns, chili flakes, peeled garlic cloves and fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme.
Put the salt, sugar and vinegar and any optional additions you are using in the container. Mix with cold water until dissolved and submerge the chicken, breast side down. Make sure the chicken is fully submerged in the brine. Place container in the fridge for 4- 6 hours.
Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse well under cold running water. Let rest uncovered in the refrigerator, until ready to cook. This will drain any excess moisture and help dry out the skin so it will brown better. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before planning to roast.
Rub the chicken with melted butter and smoked spice blend. Stuff with fresh herbs, garlic and onion if so desired. Place breast side up on a clean well-oiled roasting rack in a roasting pan. Add two cups of water to the pan.
Place the chicken in a preheated 400°F oven. Roast 30 minutes then, without opening the oven, turn the heat down to 300°F and continue roasting for 1 hour longer. Add water to the roasting pan, as needed.
Turn the oven back up to 400°F and continue roasting until the breast meat is 165°F and the thigh reads 175 to 180°F. Baste and check the temperature every 15 minutes or so. This finishing heat will help brown the skin.
Let the chicken rest uncovered for 15 minutes before carving then serve immediately. While chicken is resting, make the pan gravy.
Serve with roasted seasonal root vegetables and pan gravy and enjoy with your favourite Monte Creek wine!
To make pan gravy
50 g / 3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp / 40 g flour (any white)
2 cups / 500 ml liquid from pan topped up with low sodium chicken broth
Melt butter over medium heat, add flour, stir for 1 minute. Add half the liquid while whisking. Once incorporated and lump free, add remaining liquid. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, stirring regularly, until gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ingredients:
Smoked Sea Salt, Smoked Paprika, Sugars (sugar), Granulated Garlic, Black Pepper, Mustard Seed, Smoked Dehydrated Garlic, Smoked Dehydrated Onion, Herbs.
Allergen: Contains Mustard
Net Weight: 50 g
Store in a cool, dry place.