Roasted chicken (Tongdak-gui)

Korean style baked chicken (modified from rotisserie recipe) with two side dishes that go well together, a cream cheese dipping sauce and pickled radish which are included in this recipe

Ingredients

• A whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For cream cheese dipping sauce:

• 2 ounces seedless cucumber (or 1/3 of English cucumber)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon honey
• ½ lemon

Pickled radish

Ingredients

• 1 pound peeled Korean radish, cut into 1/3 inch cubes
• 1/3 cup sugar
• ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ¾ cup water

Directions for Pickled radish

• Combine sugar, vinegar, salt, and water in a large bowl and mix well until salt and sugar are well dissolved.
• Add the radish and stir a few times and transfer to an airtight container or a glass jar. Keep in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.
• Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Directions for the chicken

1. Rinse the chicken inside and out in cold running water. Drain.
2. Pat dry on the cutting board. Cut off any excess fat.
3. Combine olive oil, salt, ground black pepper, and garlic in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
4. Preheat your oven to 350℉.
5. Spread the vegetable oil on the rack of a roasting pan so that the chicken won’t stick to it when roasted. My roasting pan is a 17 inch by 12 inch roaster with rack.
6. Massage the garlic and oil mixture all over the outside and inside of the chicken. Gently pat it in.
7. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine and place the seasoned chicken, breast side up, on the oiled rack in the roasting pan.
8. Put it in the oven and roast for 1 hour.
9. Remove the chicken from the oven. Brush with some of the melted butter.
10. Use some tongs and a spatula to flip it over in the rack and brush the underside with butter, too.
11. Roast for 30 minutes.
12. Take it out of the oven and brush with more butter.
13. Flip it over and brush the underside again, too.
14. Roast for another 30 minutes.
15. Open the oven and brush the top of the chicken with all the leftover butter.
16. Broil 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is golden brown on top. Be sure to keep an eye on it so as not to burn it.
17. Transfer the chicken to a large platter and serve right away with the cream cheese dipping sauce