Pixelated Provisions

Video Game Recipes Brought to Life

The Witcher 3 – Whole Roast Chicken

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I am excited that The Witcher TV show series is going to kick off later this week. The previews so far have been looking extremely good and after my upcoming trip, I will probably be binge watching it on Sunday. Earlier this year, I was able to sit down and play a bit of The Witcher 3. I really enjoyed my time with the game but always found myself getting distracted by side quests and Gwent. I don’t know what it is about Gwent but I was challenging all the people I could in order to make better decks. I would go out of my way and seek out my fellow Gwent players. Maybe I was just reliving my childhood dream of getting every Pokemon card. I wonder if Gwent is going to be in the TV show?

The Witcher series is filled with many medieval-style recipes. For a bit, I’ve wanted to experiment with another roast whole chicken recipe and The Witcher is here to help me. Since the developers are based in Poland and Polish culture has a big influence on the game’s world, I decided to use spices popular to that cuisine. Paprika, fennel, and dill are a few that come to mind when I think of my childhood. I grew up eating a decent amount of Polish food. Since moving to Houston, I’ve had a harder time finding a lot of the ingredients I would typically be able to grab anywhere in Chicago. Anytime I have an excuse to make something inspired by Polish cuisine, I am delighted and brought back to my childhood. This recipe is especially easy. I find that a good roast chicken recipe is perfect for cooks just starting in the kitchen. A lot of the heavy lifting is done by the oven!

Jump to Printable Recipe

2 whole chicken
1 garlic bulb, cut in half
½ onion, cut into large cubes
1 fennel, top separated from the bulb and bulb cut into large cubes
salt
pepper

Spice Rub
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp ground fennel
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp dill

At least 8 hours before and up to 32 hours before you plan on cooking the chickens, take it out of its packaging and remove all the extras inside the cavity. Place the two chickens on a baking pan with a wire rack. Salt and pepper the entire chicken, outside and inside. Put the chicken in the refrigerator, uncovered.

Take the chicken out of the refrigerator. Use a paper towel to clean up any liquid/ blood that might have ended up on the pan while it rested.

Preheat an oven to 375°F. Remove the wire rack and chickens from that pan. Combine the garlic powder, paprika, ground fennel, thyme, and dill in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture over both the chickens.

Fill the cavity of the chickens with onion, garlic, and fennel bulb. Make sure not to over stuff it. Take the remaining onion and fennel and place it at the bottom of the baking tray. Place the wire rack and the chicken on top of the pan.

Bake, breast side up, for 1 ½ – 2 hours (internal temperature should read at 180°F). Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

Print Recipe

Paprika Roast Chicken

Ingredients

  • 2 whole chicken
  • 1 garlic bulb cut in half
  • ½ onion cut into large cubes
  • 1 fennel top separated from the bulb and bulb cut into large cubes
  • salt
  • pepper

Spice Rub

  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp ground fennel
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • 1 tsp dill

Instructions

  • At least 8 hours before and up to 32 hours before you plan on cooking the chickens, take it out of its packaging and remove all the extras inside the cavity. Place the two chickens on a baking pan with a wire rack. Salt and pepper the entire chicken, outside and inside. Put the chicken in the refrigerator, uncovered.
  • Take the chicken out of the refrigerator. Use a paper towel to clean up any liquid/ blood that might have ended up on the pan while it rested.
  • Preheat an oven to 375°F. Remove the wire rack and chickens from that pan. Combine the garlic powder, paprika, ground fennel, thyme, and dill in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture over both the chickens.
  • Fill the cavity of the chickens with onion, garlic, and fennel bulb. Make sure not to over stuff it. Take the remaining onion and fennel and place it at the bottom of the baking tray. Place the wire rack and the chicken on top of the pan.
  • Bake, breast side up, for 1 ½ – 2 hours (internal temperature should read at 180°F). Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil. Let it rest for 10 minutes.