Five Spice Roast Chicken Served with Ginger Scented Rice

 This is one of those dishes that make your kitchen smell soooooooooooo good.  Roasting chicken with yummy onion wedges?  Oh yeah.  I've also discovered that Chinese 5-spice powder is a wonderful addition to my spice cabinet.

4 garlic cloves, pressed

2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

1 cut up chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds)

1 large onion, peeled; cut into 16 wedges
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
2 green onions, thinly sliced 

Preheat oven to 425.  Arrange onion wedges and bell pepper strips in 13 x 9 x 2 inch roasting pan.  Arrange chicken, skin side up, atop onions and peppers.  Roast until chicken is cooked through, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 50 minutes.  Remove chicken from oven and let rest 10 minutes.  Arrange chicken and onions on platter and serve.  Top with green onions.

Ginger-Scented Rice

1 3 inch long 1 inch thick piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch thick pieces

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

Using garlic press, squeeze enough fresh ginger into small bowl to measure 1 1/2 tablespoons juice with pulp.  Transfer ginger to small saucepan.

Add 1 1/2 cups water, rice, butter and salt to same pan.  Cover; bring to boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat; let rice sit 10 minutes.  Uncover; fluff rice with fork.