Charmoula Crusted Roast Chicken - Moroccan Chicken Roast
Author: Whats4Chow
Recipe type: Chicken / Poultry
Cuisine: Moroccan
Moroccan charmoula is a lemony flavored sauce of herbs and spices used to marinate fish. In today's episode, we're making a dry rub version of this and baking a delicious charmoula crusted roast chicken.
Ingredients
- 1.6kg Chicken
- 2 Tbs Ground cumin
- 1 Tbs Ground coriander
- 2 Tsp Dried chilli flakes
- 1.5 Tsp Paprika
- 1 Tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1 Tsp Allspice / pimento berries
- 0.75 Tsp Ground ginger
- 0.5 Tsp Cayenne pepper
- 0.5 Tsp Turmeric
- 50ml Melted butter
Instructions
- Starting with the spice blend, measure 2 tablespoons ground cumin, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 and a half teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¾ teaspoons ground ginger, a half teaspoon cayenne pepper and a half teaspoon turmeric.
- Finally you need a teaspoon of allspice or pimento berries and 2 teaspoons crushed chilli flakes.
- Drop the chilli flakes and allspice into your grinder along with all of the other spice powders. The grinder needs back pressure to grind small quantities, and the additional spice powders provide this.
- Grind the mixture until fine then transfer it to a sprinkle bottle.
- To prepare the chicken, remove any excess fat and skin from the butt and neck of the chicken.
- Use a sharp knife to slice through the skin ll the way down the breast.
- Use your kitchen shears to cut through the breast bone and open up the chicken.
- Flip the chicken over and use the palm of your hand to dislocate each thigh at the hip, with two sharp down thrusts.
- Transfer the spatchcocked chicken to a large roasting pan and sprinkle the spice blend liberally over the skin of the chicken.
- Make sure to get it under the wings as well.
- I have used about half of the spice blend to get a good solid coating.
- Add the roasting vegetables of your choice to the pan.
- Season everything with salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
- Roast the chicken in a preheated oven at 180c for 45 minutes.
- At this point, remove the pan from the oven. Brush the crust of charmoula spice with 50ml of melted butter and return the pan to the oven for a further 45 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before jointing and serving.
- Brush the spicy skin with pan juices to achieve the glossy appearance.