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Djaj fil Forn

Djaj is the Arabic word for chicken; ferakh is an Egyptian term. Every day, the trams and buses coming into the towns from the villages are crowded with peasants carrying crates of live, cackling poultry. The chickens are killed and plucked at the market or poultry shops. This is a simple and homely but delicious Egyptian way of cooking the birds.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4

Ingredients

A 3 1/2–4-pound chicken
2 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Rub the chicken with a mixture of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic. Put it breast side down in a roasting pan in a preheated 350°F oven, so that the fat runs down and prevents the breast from drying out.

    Step 2

    Roast for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until well browned, turning the chicken breast side up about midway through. Test for doneness by cutting into a thigh with a pointed knife. The juices should run clear, not pink.

  2. Variations

    Step 3

    Rub the chicken with a mixture of 2 tablespoons olive or sunflower oil, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon allspice or ground cardamom, salt, and pepper.

    Step 4

    Add 2 teaspoons ground cumin to the original marinade.

    Step 5

    Liquidize in a blender or food processor 1 quartered onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 1 tablespoon sumac, and rub the chicken with this mixture.

Cover of Claudia Roden's The New Book of Middle Easter Food, featuring a blue filigree bowl filled with Meyer lemons and sprigs of mint.
Reprinted with permission from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, copyright © 2000 by Claudia Roden, published by Knopf. Buy the full book on Amazon or Bookshop.
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