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Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts, and Honey

4.7

(15)

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Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts, and HoneyRichard Learoyd

This dish is inspired by a recipe from Claudia Roden's classic book, Tamarind and Saffron (Viking, 1999). It is one of our favorites: it is easy to make, yet looks stunning, and has the most delicate and fragrant combination of flavors (rose water, saffron, and cinnamon), which takes you straight to the famous Jemaa el Fna in Marrakech. Serve with rice or plain couscous.

Cooks' Note

Editor's note: This article has been updated as a part of our archive repair project.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large organic or free-range chicken, divided into quarters: breast and wing, leg and thigh
2 onions, coarsely chopped
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
a generous pinch of saffron threads
juice of 1 lemon
4 tbsp cold water
2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
scant 3/4 cups / 100 g unskinned hazelnuts
3 1/2 tbsp / 70 g honey
2 tbsp rose water
2 green onions, coarsely chopped

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    1. In a large bowl, mix the chicken pieces with the onions, olive oil, ginger, cinnamon, saffron, lemon juice, water, salt, and pepper. Leave to marinate for at least an hour, or overnight in the fridge.

    Step 2

    2. Preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Chop coarsely and set aside.

    Step 3

    3. Transfer the chicken and marinade to a baking sheet large enough to accommodate everything comfortably. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side up and put the pan in the oven for about 35 minutes.

    Step 4

    4. While the chicken is roasting, mix the honey, rose water, and nuts together to make a rough paste. Remove the chicken from the oven, spoon a generous amount of nuts paste onto each piece, and spread it to cover. Return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the nuts are golden brown.

    Step 5

    5. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish and garnish with the chopped green onions.

Reprinted with permission from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi. Copyright © 2008 by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi; food photographs copyright © 2008 by Richard Learoyd. Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Yotam Ottolenghi owns an eponymous group of restaurants in London, plus a high-end restaurant, Nopi, also in London. His 2011 cookbook, Plenty, was a New York Times bestseller. Sami Tamimi is a partner and head chef at Ottolenghi. Their 2012 cookbook, Jerusalem, was a New York Times bestseller and was awarded Cookbook of the Year by the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
TagsMoroccanNorth AfricanAfricanWhole ChickenChickenPoultryHazelnutNutSaffronHerbs & SpicesMainDinnerDairy FreeGluten FreeRoastRosh HashanahCookbooks

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