Roast Chicken Tacos

July 7, 2010, 11:30 pm
Filed under: City Arts

This City Arts recipe is a refreshing take on an old standard. I was especially pleased with the simple tomatillo salsa (which I will definitely make again) and the refreshing salad topping. These tacos are full of flavor and still very healthy.

Now, to be perfectly frank, is it really worth it to start with a raw chicken, season it, and wait 2 hours for it to bake all for the same price (about $5) of a hot, pre-roasted, mildly seasoned bird from your local grocery store or Costco? Not necessarily. If you’re going the extra mile by doing it all from scratch it’s probably because you want the seasoning to be just so and also to make use of the juices for a gravy or other accompaniment. Still, it’s not a difficult task, especially if you plan ahead, and there is the “wow” factor of pulling the crisp golden bird out of the oven. The chicken photo is definitely my favorite of the bunch.

Technical note: This shoot was the first time I made use of a soft box attached to the external flash, which is why the photos have distinct shadows and little fill light. I shot late at night when there was no natural light to be had, so the only other source was the high ceiling fixture. The style seems to work well enough in the chicken photograph, but I’m not totally satisfied with the harsher lighting in the others. In spite of this, it’s great to have a simple studio light option when necessary. I’m still getting used to the setup (and its inherent constraints), so I hope to have better results as I practice.

(Recipe and select photos here.)