Tex-Mex Roast Chicken

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 4 limes)

1/2 to 1 cup fresh or canned chicken stock or broth

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

6 green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Grated peel of 2 limes

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 - 4 pounds chicken pieces, or a whole chicken if you prefer.

In a large zip-lock freezer bag, mix together the lime juice, chicken stock, red wine vinegar, garlic, green onions, chili powder, ground cumin, cumin seeds, cayenne or jalapeno pepper, cilantro, and lime peel.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Place the chicken in the bag with the marinade.  Freeze.

To serve: Thaw chicken in marinade overnight in refrigerator.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the marinated chicken and marinade in a roasting pan.  Add more stock if necessary to come 1 inch up the side of the chicken. Bake, basting every 20 minutes, for 1 hour, or until done.  For a nice sauce, degrease the pan juices, then simmer 10 minutes with a tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in a tablespoon of water.

Serves 4.

Taken from: Nathalie Dupree Cooks Great Meals for Busy Days by Nathalie Dupree (Random House Publishing 1994).

My Notes: This is a really tangy and spicy chicken; it rated four stars in our family.  When I make this, I use chicken thighs on sale, although the recipe in the book calls for a whole chicken.  I serve with brown rice, broccoli and a salad.