Dukkah Roast Chicken with Warm Pomegranate Gravy

By JDARK

Ingredients

• Chicken:
• 16 oz preserved lemons
• 1 fresh red chile
• 1 bunch rosemary
• 1 pomegranate
• 3-1/2 lb whole chicken
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 3 tbsp dukkah
• Dukkah:
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3-1/2 tbsp blanched almonds
• 3-1/2 tbsp blanched hazelnuts
• 3-1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 3-1/2 tbsp shelled, unsalted pistachios

Details

Level of difficulty Average
Cost Average budget

Preparation

Step 1

Chicken:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Get a roasting pan that will fit the chicken fairly snugly. Halve, deseed and finely chop 4 preserved lemons and place in the tray. Roughly chop and add the chile, strip in the rosemary, then halve the pomegranate and squeeze all the juice through your fingers into the tray. Add 1 tbsp olive oil, then the chicken. Season lightly and rub all the flavor over the chicken, getting into all the nooks and crannies.

Step 2

Pour 3/4 cup water into the tray around the chicken and roast for 80 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Baste halfway through with the juices.

Step 3

Remove, cover and leave rest for 30 minutes in the tray before carving.

Step 4

Dukkah:
In a nonstick frying pan on a medium heat, toast 1 tbsp each of black peppercorns, sea salt, coriander seeds and fresh fennel seeds with 1 tsp of cumin seeds and finely grated zest of 1 lemon for 4 minutes, then tip into a large mortar and pestle.

Step 5

Pound until fine while you toast the blanched almonds and hazelnuts in the hot pan for 2 minutes, add the sesame seeds for a final minute.

Step 6

Tip it all into the mortar. Pound into the mix with the shelled, unsalted pistachios.

Step 7

Cool, then decant into an airtight jar and store until needed.