Name: Roast Moroccan chicken with chickpea chips, eggplant pickle and parsley salad
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 tbsp coriander seeds; 1½ tbsp cumin seeds; 1½ tbsp white peppercorns; 2 tsp mustard seeds; 2 tsp ground turmeric; 2 tbsp ground ginger; 35 gm plain flour (¼ cup); 400 ml buttermilk; 1 chicken (2 kg), jointed; To serve: sheep’s milk yoghurt mixed with tahini, lemon juice and honey; Eggplant pickle; 3 eggplant, diced into 2cm pieces; 100 ml vegetable oil; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 15 gm ginger, finely chopped (2½ cm piece); 1 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped; 1 tsp each ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground cumin and mustard seeds; 200 ml white wine vinegar; 75 gm brown sugar; Chickpea chips; 225 ml milk; 1 tbsp olive oil; 10 gm butter; 170 gm chickpea flour; For dusting: fine polenta; For shallow frying: vegetable oil; Parsley salad; 30 gm pine nuts; 1 cup flat-leaf parsley (loosely packed); 1½ tbsp currants, soaked in 2 tbsp orange juice

“The roast Moroccan chicken from Circa, the Prince would make the perfect indulgent lunch. Would you please ask the chef for the recipe?”

Carolyn Casey, Beaumaris, Vic

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Ingredients

2 tbsp coriander seeds

1½ tbsp cumin seeds

1½ tbsp white peppercorns

2 tsp mustard seeds

2 tsp ground turmeric

2 tbsp ground ginger

35 gm plain flour (¼ cup)

400 ml buttermilk

1 chicken (2 kg), jointed

To serve: sheep’s milk yoghurt mixed with tahini, lemon juice and honey

Eggplant pickle

3 eggplant, diced into 2cm pieces

100 ml vegetable oil

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

15 gm ginger, finely chopped (2½ cm piece)

1 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

1 tsp each ground coriander, ground turmeric, ground cumin and mustard seeds

200 ml white wine vinegar

75 gm brown sugar

Chickpea chips

225 ml milk

1 tbsp olive oil

10 gm butter

170 gm chickpea flour

For dusting: fine polenta

For shallow frying: vegetable oil

Parsley salad

30 gm pine nuts

1 cup flat-leaf parsley (loosely packed)

1½ tbsp currants, soaked in 2 tbsp orange juice

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Method

Main

1.For eggplant pickle, lightly salt eggplant in a colander and stand until bitter juices drain (20-25 minutes). Rinse under cold water and pat dry with absorbent paper. Heat half the oil in a large frying pan over high heat, add half the eggplant, turn occasionally until golden (3-5 minutes), then drain on absorbent paper. Repeat with remaining oil and eggplant, then return reserved eggplant to pan with garlic, ginger, chilli and spices and sauté until fragrant (3-5 minutes). Deglaze with vinegar, then stir through sugar and reduce heat to medium. Simmer until slightly thickened (5-7 minutes), season to taste, spread onto an oven tray and set aside to cool.

2.For chickpea chips, bring milk, olive oil and butter to the boil in a saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, then gradually add chickpea flour, whisking continuously until very thick (3-5 minutes). Pour into an oven tray lined with baking paper and set aside to cool. When cool, turn out and cut into 2cm x 7cm chips. Just before serving, heat oil in a deep frying pan to 180C, dust chickpea chips in polenta and fry in batches, turning occasionally until golden and crisp (3-5 minutes). Drain on absorbent paper, season to taste and keep warm in oven.

3.Meanwhile, for parsley salad, toast pine nuts in a frying pan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden (3-5 minutes), then set aside to cool. Combine with remaining ingredients and season to taste.

4.Heat a char-grill pan over medium heat. Dry-roast whole spices until fragrant (30 seconds-1 minute), then finely grind with a mortar and pestle. Combine in a bowl with flour, remaining spices and 1 tbsp fine sea salt. Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk, then coat in spice mixture and grill, turning occasionally, until just cooked through (15-20 minutes). Serve with hot chickpea chips, eggplant pickle, parsley salad and tahini yoghurt.

This recipe is from the March 2011 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.
Notes

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.

Styling by Alice Storey

Styling by Geraldine Muñoz