Moroccan Style Roast Chicken Recipes

MOROCCAN ROAST CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Spatchcock the chickens - see tip, below, or ask your butcher to do it for you. Put the olive oil, coriander, sumac, cumin, fennel, chilli, garlic, lemon zest and juice, pomegranate molasses and some ground black pepper into a food processor or blender, and whizz to a paste. Divide between 2 large food bags, add a chicken to each, then squeeze out the air and seal before giving everything a good squelch to coat thoroughly. Marinate for 24-48 hrs in the fridge, turning and squishing every so often.
• Fire up a barbecue and let the flames die down, or heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Lift the chicken out of the bags and season well with salt. Barbecue or roast the chicken for 25-30 mins on each side until crisp and cooked through. Set aside on a platter, loosely cover with foil, to rest while you do the apricots. If you roasted rather than barbecued, keep the tin juices warm for serving.
• Put the apricots in a small, snug roasting tin. Whisk the preserved lemon, honey, orange blossom and vinegar with some seasoning. Pour over the apricots and roast, or sit on the barbecue, for 20 mins until soft.
• Serve the chicken with any cooking juices, the apricots and saffron yogurt.

MOROCCAN-STYLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place a large frying pan over medium heat with 1 tbsp of oil. Lightly season the chicken and cook, skin side down, for about 5 mins on one side, until golden. Turn over, then tip the onion into the pan. Cook for another 5 mins until the onion is soft and chicken golden all over.
• Meanwhile, halve the lemon, then cut 1 half into quarters. Finely chop 1 quarter (leaving the skin on) and tip into a pestle and mortar or small blender. Pound together with remaining oil, garlic, ginger and chermoula to make a paste. Dollop into the frying pan and cook 1 min more until you can smell the spices. Pour over the chicken or vegetable stock and honey, then bring to the boil.
• Turn down the heat, cover and leave to cook 20-30 mins until chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened and become glossy (you may need to uncover the pan for the fi nal 5 mins of cooking). Stir through the olives and squeeze over the juice of half the lemon. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with couscous or bread.

MOROCCAN ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray the foil with cooking spray.
• 2. Mix together the honey, olive oil, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and garlic in a small bowl. Place the chicken, onions, and potatoes in a large bowl. Toss with three-quarters of the honey mixture and arrange in a single layer on the prepared pan. Toss the apricots and raisins with the remaining honey mixture and set aside.
• 3. Bake the chicken, onions, and potatoes for 35 minutes. Add the apricots and raisins and bake until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more. Garnish with the pistachios and cilantro.

MOROCCAN-STYLE ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 400°F
• Whisk butter, honey, cinnamon, and turmeric in small bowl.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer 1/4 cup honey butter to small bowl; reserve.
• Place chicken on rack in roasting pan.
• Brush with some of remaining honey butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Roast chicken until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165°F to 170°F, brushing occasionally with honey butter and covering loosely with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour 10 minutes.
• Transfer to platter. Serve with reserved honey butter.

HARVEY'S MOROCCAN ROAST CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• For the spice mix: Mix together in a bowl the cloves, pepper, fennel, sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom. Set aside.
• For the spice paste: Place the paprika, lemon juice, the spice mix (from Step 2), salt, chopped mint, black pepper and garlic cloves in a blender. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and blend to until ingredients are mixed, about 6 or 8 pulses. Slowly add the additional olive oil if mixture seems too thick to spread. Blend just until mixture is a smooth paste.
• Spread potatoes and carrots in a roasting pan. Rub about 1/4 of the spice paste inside the cavity of the chicken. Rub the remainder of the paste on the outside of the chicken including the underside. Place the chicken directly on the carrots and potatoes. Pierce the 2 lemons all over with a fork, and place them into the chicken cavity.
• Tent the chicken with aluminum foil. Roast approximately 2 hours until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

MOROCCAN ROASTED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425° and position a rack in the lower third of the oven. In a bowl, mix the butter with the cumin, coriander, sweet paprika, cayenne and cinnamon and season with salt and pepper. Pat the chicken dry. Rub half of the spice butter under the skin and the rest over the chicken; season with salt and pepper.
• Set the chicken breast-side-up on a rack in a roasting pan. Scatter the onion, garlic cloves, dates and dried apricots and add 1/2 cup of water. Roast for 30 minutes, until the breast is firm and just beginning to brown in spots. Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-down and roast for 20 minutes longer, until the skin is lightly browned.
• Using tongs, turn the chicken breast-side-up. Add another 1/2 cup of water. Roast for about 20 minutes longer, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the inner thigh registers 175° to 180°.
• Tilt the chicken to drain the cavity juices into the pan; transfer the bird to a cutting board. Remove the rack from the pan and spoon off the fat. Set the pan over high heat. Add the stock and cook, scraping up any browned bits. Carve the chicken and pass the chunky jus at the table.