This is a quick throw-together with intense Moroccan flavor. Cooking the chicken on a rack allows the oven’s heat to circulate around the bird and cook it faster. Serve the chicken with Baked Eggplant with Sesame Yogurt and Mint (page 262).
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rinse the chicken with cool water inside and out; then pat it dry with paper towels. Combine the cinnamon stick, cloves, cayenne, cumin, fennel, coriander, and paprika in a dry skillet over low heat and toast for just a minute to release the fragrant oils; shake the pan so the spices don’t scorch. In a spice mill or clean coffee grinder, grind the toasted spices together with the sea salt and brown sugar.
Step 2
Massage the chicken skin with the spice rub; make sure you don’t miss a spot. Season the inside of the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Stuff the lemons halves, cilantro, and garlic in the cavity. Place the chicken in a roasting pan fitted with a rack. Fold the wing tips under the bird and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Drizzle the oil all over the chicken. If you have time, let the chicken sit for 30 minutes to really get the flavors deep into the meat. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, then pop an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh; if it reads 160°F., it’s time to eat. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before carving so the juices can settle back into the meat. Squeeze the lemon halves that have cooked inside the chicken over the meat for added pow.
