Roast Half Chicken with Cashew Tarator and Celery

By lorik

Ingredients

• Spicy Walnuts:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 2 cups walnut halves
• Cashew Tarator:
• 2 cups cashews
• 1 1/4-inch-thick slice white bread, torn
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Chicken and Assembly:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more
• 1/2 3 1/2–4-pound chicken (backbone removed)
• Kosher salt
• 1 celery stalk, thinly sliced, plus 1/4 cup celery leaves
• 1 tablespoon mixed unsalted, roasted seeds (such as pumpkin, sunflower, and/or hemp)
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Details

Servings 2
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Spicy Walnuts: Preheat oven to 300°. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium, remove from heat, and mix in salt and cayenne. Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until soft peaks form; stir in brown sugar. Add seasoned butter and walnuts and fold to coat nuts.

Spread nuts out on a parchment–lined rimmed baking sheet; bake, tossing every 10 minutes or so, until mixture is dry and nuts are toasted, 25–30 minutes. Let cool.

Do Ahead: Walnuts can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Cashew Tarator: Increase oven temperature to 350°. Toast cashews on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 8–10 minutes. Let cool.

Pulse cashews, bread, garlic, lemon juice, coriander, and ¾ cup water in a food processor to combine. With motor running, stream in oil; process just to incorporate. Pulse, adding a splash or so of water if too thick, until a coarse purée forms; season with salt.

Do Ahead: Cashew tarator can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.

Chicken and Assembly: Increase oven temperature to 475°. Heat butter and 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Once butter is foaming, place chicken in pan, skin side up. Tilt pan and spoon butter mixture over chicken until the entire surface is coated. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and transfer to oven. Roast chicken, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165°, 25–30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss celery, celery leaves, mixed seeds, lemon juice, and ½ cup spicy walnuts in a medium bowl. Drizzle with oil, season with salt, and toss again.

Spoon tarator onto a platter and top with celery salad and chicken.