Name: Spiced chicken en papillote with preserved lemon
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 60 gm butter, softened; 1 chicken (1.6kg), removed from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking; 300 gm couscous; 2 tsp olive oil; Lemon halves and sheep's milk yoghurt, to serve; Spice paste; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; ½ cup finely chopped coriander; Finely chopped rind of ½ preserved lemon; 1 tsp harissa; 3 tsp ras el hanout (see note); Pinch of ground cinnamon

Spiced chicken en papillote with preserved lemon

Baking a whole chicken in paper makes for a beautifully juicy bird. Serve it with plain couscous to soak up all the juices.

Serves 4

Prep

25M

Cook

1H 40M

Total

2H 5M

Baking a whole chicken in paper makes for a beautifully juicy bird. Serve it with plain couscous to soak up all the juices.

Ingredients

60 gm butter, softened

1 chicken (1.6kg), removed from the fridge 20 minutes before cooking

300 gm couscous

2 tsp olive oil

Lemon halves and sheep's milk yoghurt, to serve

Spice paste

2 garlic cloves, crushed

½ cup finely chopped coriander

Finely chopped rind of ½ preserved lemon

1 tsp harissa

3 tsp ras el hanout (see note)

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Method

1.Preheat oven to 190C. For spice paste, coarsely crush garlic and a pinch of salt with a mortar and pestle. Add coriander and pound to combine, then add remaining ingredients, pound to combine and season to taste.

2.Rub butter all over chicken, then rub with spice paste to coat completely. Place 3 large sheets (about 45cm each) of baking paper on a work surface so they overlap, place chicken on top and wrap to enclose, securing with string. Roast until juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a skewer (1 hour 40 minutes). Rest in paper for 10 minutes.

3.Meanwhile, combine couscous, olive oil and 1 tbsp cold water in a heatproof bowl and rub with your fingertips to coat the grains well. Add 400ml boiling water, stir with a fork, cover with plastic wrap and leave until liquid is absorbed (8-10 minutes). Fluff up grains with a fork, season to taste, cover again and stand until dry (8-10 minutes).

4.Squeeze lemon juice over chicken, spoon cooking juices on top and serve with couscous and yoghurt.

Ras el hanout, a North African spice blend that includes cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander and rose, is available from select delicatessens and from Herbie’s Spices (herbies.com.au).
Drink Suggestion: Fragrant viognier. Drink suggestion by Max Allen
Notes