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| Moroccan Roast Chicken with Couscous Stuffing |
Serve this spice rubbed chicken with roasted baby carrots for a delicious
Serves 4-6
1 Moroccan Roast Chicken ingredients: free-range chicken. 1/4 cup melted butter. 1 teaspoon smoked paprika. 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric. 1 lemon, halved
Couscous: 1 cup instant couscous. finely grated zest and juice 1 orange. 2 cloves garlic, crushed. 1 and 1/2 teaspoons each ground cumin and coriander. 12 dried dates, finely chopped. 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds. 1 cup boiling water or chicken stock. sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Moroccan Roast Chicken recipe
Preheat the oven to 180C
Couscous: Combine all the ingredients in a heat-proof bowl and season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and leave for 10 minutes. Uncover and fluff up with a fork then divide in half, using half for stuffing the chicken and reserving the other half for serving
Chicken: Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water then dry well with kitchen towels. Spoon the couscous into the cavity of the chicken then place half a lemon inside to block the cavity and prevent the stuffing from falling out Tie the legs together loosely with kitchen string. Combine the butter, paprika and turmeric in a bowl and brush all over the chicken then season with salt and pepper. By then, the Moroccan roast chicken is ready
To cook: Place the chicken in a roasting dish and pour 1/2 a cup of water into the base. Add the other lemon half and roast for 1 and 1/2 hours, basting with the pan juices every 20 minutes and turning the pan for even browning. Test for readiness by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh - the juices should run clear without any trace of pink Rest the chicken loosely covered for 10 minutes before transferring to a platter and carving. Squeeze over the roasted lemon and serve with the reserved couscous
COOK'S TIP: It's important to divide the couscous before stuffing the chicken or you risk contaminating all the couscous with raw chicken juices while spooning it into the cavity.
