Moroccan Roasted Chicken

Heavenly-scented roast chicken!

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
• 1/2 preserved lemon*
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 small onion, chopped roughly
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped roughly
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 4 cups boiling water
• 1 bottle (16 ounces) pomegranate juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

Instructions

1. Wash chicken and gently pull loose the skin. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, combine preserved lemon, olive oil, garlic, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cayenne pepper. Grind to smooth paste.
3. Rub marinade under chicken skin and inside cavity.
4. Place chicken in the refrigerator and marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
5. Heat oven to 500 degrees F.
6. In a large roasting pan, combine onion, carrot, cinnamon stick, sugar and boiling water.
7. Place chicken in roasting pan and bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes.
8. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and turn chicken over; bake another 20 minutes.
9. Turn chicken over again and bake for 20 minutes.
10. Turn chicken final time and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Baste chicken with pan juices during each turn.
11. While chicken is baking, place pomegranate juice in a small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Cook until reduced to about 1/4 cup.
12. Remove chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 15 minutes.
13. Place drippings from pan into a medium saucepan; add reduced pomegranate juice and bring to a boil.
14. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes to thicken.
15. Stir in mint.

Nutrition

Per serving: 720 calories; 40g fat; 10g saturated fat; 28g carbohydrate

Attribution

Recipe and photo used with permission from: National Chicken Council
Recipe from Copia, Napa, California.