Easy Spiced Chicken

I'm not talking hot and spicy. It's quite mild and sweet and the kids will love it. It's from my '70s cookbook which I'm loving at the moment. Such simple recipes, basic, wholesome, and with real ingredients like plenty of butter and salt. You'll need to start this recipe about an hour before dinner.

I use chicken legs that come in a 1.5 kg bag from the local cornerstore. It's real free-range (I've been to the farm) and they don't use chemicals. And somehow they're very economical, about $6 a bag. You could also buy a chicken and chop it into about 8 pieces. If you do, make sure you save that precious carcass for stock.

So, crank up your oven first, to 190deg C. Put your roasting tin on top of the stove on moderate heat, and melt 1/4 cup of butter in it. When the foam dies down add half a cup of honey, 12 teaspoons of German mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of mild curry powder. Mix well together. I don't actually know what they mean by German mustard (but it may mean mild). I just use the grainy stuff in a jar that I keep in the fridge. Seems to work fine.

Take it off the heat and add your chicken pieces. Roll them around so they're coated in the lovely mixture you've made. Arrange them in the tin so they're side by side, and throw them in the oven. Bake for about an hour, or until the meat is tender. You can open the oven every now and then to baste the meat.

Serve it up to your hungry family with some potatoes or rice, and maybe some green beans (which you have skillfully cooked in the meantime). Pour the runny mixture over top of everything, and your family will praise your culinary genius. So will your accountant. This meal does us twice over, so I reckon it costs about $5-$6 each meal. Yum.