The brilliance of this recipe lies in the effect that slow-roasting has on most hot sauces. After spending a long time in the oven at a relatively low temperature, your formerly-spicy hot sauce mellows out, making it a suitable coating for a tender chicken. The sweet potatoes provide a built-in side dish, though I like to add a green salad to round out this meal. This is a good one to make on Sunday evening and eat throughout the week.

Note: Thick, almost paste-like hot sauces work best in this recipe (see suggestions below).

• ingredients
• 1 4-4 1/2 lb. roasting chicken, giblets removed $8
• salt and pepper Pantry
• 6 tbsp thick hot sauce (suggestions: harissa, sambal or Sriracha approx. 2.50-$4.50 for a jar/bottle
• 2 large sweet potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and diced $2
• 1 red onion, diced $0.50
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped Pantry
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing Pantry
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving Pantry

Total Cost of Ingredients $13-$15

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Rinse chicken cavity and exterior under cool running water. Use paper towels to pat it dry. Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally all over chicken. Place chicken breast-up in an 11“x13” casserole or roasting pan.

Working in 1 tbsp increments, rub the hot sauce all over the chicken, outside and inside. Use your hands to gently loosen the chicken skin and rub some sauce in between the chicken’s skin and its flesh. Make sure the whole thing is well-covered. Set chicken in pan aside and wash hands thoroughly.

In a mixing bowl, combine sweet potatoes, onion garlic, olive oil and generous pinches of salt and pepper. Stir well to ensure all pieces of sweet potato are evenly coated with oil and onions and garlic are well-distributed. Surround chicken with the sweet potato mixture, spreading out evenly (do not stuff inside chicken, as sweet potatoes won’t cook evenly this way). Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.

Roast for 45 minutes with foil on. Uncover and brush top of chicken lightly with olive oil (this helps the skin retain moisture) and roast, uncovered for another 25-30 minutes. Chicken is done when juices from a pierced thigh run clear.

Serve with lemons for squeezing and a shower of fresh chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley.

Serves 3-4.