Bodrum Chicken Seasoning – 100 g

Bodrum chicken seasoning is a 100 g pack of ready mixed spices made for poultry. Sold in Turkey as tavuk baharatı, it saves you measuring out five or six jars every time you roast a chicken or grill a tray of wings.

What goes into the mix

A spice blend for chicken is usually built around warm, savoury spices that suit pale meat: paprika or red pepper for colour, garlic and onion for depth, black pepper for heat, and herbs such as thyme or oregano for freshness. Some blends also include cumin, coriander, turmeric or a little salt. Bodrum lists the exact spices, and whether salt is included, on the pack, so read the label before seasoning further.

The advantage of a blend is consistency. Every batch of chicken tastes the same, and the spices are already balanced, so a beginner can get a good result without guessing quantities.

How to use chicken seasoning

Dry rub

Pat chicken pieces dry, brush them with a little oil and sprinkle the seasoning evenly on all sides. Leave for at least twenty minutes, or overnight in the fridge for a deeper flavour, then roast, grill or pan fry. A rough guide is a heaped teaspoon for every 500 g of meat, but taste and adjust to your liking.

Yoghurt and garlic

Turkish cooks often marinate chicken in yoghurt. Mix four spoons of thick yoghurt with two spoons of olive oil, a spoon of pepper paste, a crushed garlic clove, a squeeze of lemon and one to two teaspoons of the seasoning. Coat boneless thighs or breast pieces in the marinade and leave them in the fridge for a few hours. Thread onto skewers for tavuk şiş, or cook in a hot griddle pan.

Other uses

• Toss with potato wedges before roasting them next to the chicken.
• Stir into the flour or breadcrumbs for home fried chicken.
• Season chicken soup or a chicken and rice pilaf.
• Rub over a whole bird with butter under the skin.
• Try it on turkey, roasted cauliflower or chickpeas.

A recipe idea: oven chicken with vegetables

Cut four chicken thighs, two potatoes, an onion, a red pepper and two tomatoes into chunks. Toss everything in a roasting tin with olive oil, a spoon of tomato paste loosened with water, and two teaspoons of chicken seasoning. Roast in a hot oven, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are soft and browned at the edges. Serve with bulgur pilaf and a bowl of yoghurt.

Cooking safely

Whatever the seasoning, chicken must be cooked until the juices run clear and there is no pink meat near the bone. If you have a thermometer, the thickest part should reach at least 75°C. Keep raw chicken and its marinade away from cooked food and wash boards and knives after use.

Storage

Store the pack sealed in a cool, dry, dark cupboard, away from the cooker. Ground spices lose their aroma over time, so for the best flavour use the seasoning within a few months of opening, and always within the best before date.

Order Bodrum spices online

Robin Food delivers across the UK, with same-day delivery available in many London areas. To round out your spice shelf, add Gama Sweet Red Pepper Flakes, Bodrum Oregano and Gama Sumac.