ISLAMABAD: When it comes to cooking chicken, the people of the subcontinent have invented endless ways of preparing this most staple of all birds. It can be smoked, roasted, broiled, baked, deep-fried, barbequed or char-grilled.

Now though, there is a new kind of chicken in town; the slow-cooked rotisserie roast. A cooking method imported from the decadent west, rotisserie chicken is a popular dish across the world. As with any city that boasts a sizeable expatriate population, Islamabad cannot afford to be left behind. Although there are several outlets that offer roast chicken dishes, only two capture the essence of the slow rotisserie roast.

The original rotisserie chicken joint in the capital is Qureshi’s Meat Shop in Kohsar Market, which began selling its slow-roast to customers around three years ago. But even after the opening of their Porterhouse outlet, the rotisserie remains one of their most popular items.

Owner Nasir Mehmood Qureshi told Dawn they marinated their chicken for a few hours before putting it in the rotisserie oven for 75 minutes. “We sell between 35 and 40 full chickens every day, although most of those are bought by take-away customers.”

Slow-cooked evenly with the skin intact, this decidedly western roast is fast gaining popularity

A full rotisserie chicken, complete with a special chilli garlic dip and pita bread, costs Rs500. The crowning glory of the roast, however, is a whole green chilli that soaks in the flavours from the crispy chicken and lends it a wonderful zing.

Those opting to eat-in at Porterhouse, or Qureshi’s own Lebanese Rotisserie outlet in the F-10 markaz do have to pay a bit more: its Rs350 for a quarter chicken, but this is served with side dishes such as rice, and special dipping sauce.

The secret of the slow-roast is in the skin; the crispy outer coating that your local butcher usually removes when preparing the chicken meat is actually quite prized abroad.

Parvez Bokhari, who owns a little eatery called The Works in E-11 Markaz, is also privy to this secret. “The real trick is keeping the skin intact,” he says.

Inspired by the Swiss Chalet chain of restaurants in Canada, who are known for their slow-roasted meats, The Works also specialises in rotisserie chicken with a twist.

Although the outlet offers a variety of burgers and sandwiches, their flagship item has to be the full rotisserie, which at Rs850 is somewhat on the steep side. Their chicken also comes with a spicy garlic mayo dip and pita bread.

But the evolution of their slow-roast wasn’t as smooth as one may imagine. “Our original recipe was very bland, like it is in the west. It was just some traditional spices with salt and pepper, served with gravy to give it a bit of a kick. But this didn’t go down well with our customers, so we had to change our marinade to make it spicier.”

Although this has brought in customers by the drove, there was a slight flaw in the strategy. “After we changed the flavour, the gravy just didn’t go with the chicken anymore!”

Perhaps this is why the jury is still out on the gravy, which is also offered along with mashed potatoes as a side dish.

“It’s perfectly juicy and succulent you can tell it was slowly cooked in its own juices. Local sajji has a tendency to dry out and chicken tikka can be burnt, concealing the taste of the chicken itself. I like the simplicity of pure unadultared chicken,” said Dawood Mehmood, a regular customer.

Imran Mushtaq, another regular who spent his childhood in Saudi Arabia, said the roast reminded him of the al-Baik chicken that is very popular in the Middle East.

Published in Dawn September 26th, 2016