Harissa-spiced chicken

 

     The spices and fruit in this stuffing give the chicken a good flavour and help to keep it moist.

Serves 4-5 

• 1.5 kg chicken
• 30-60 ml garlic and spice oil
• A few bay leaves
• 10 ml clear honey
• 10 ml tomato purée
• 60 ml lemon juice
• 150 ml chicken stock
• 2-5 ml harissa

For the stuffing

• 25 gr butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 7 ml ground cinnamon
• 2 ml ground cumin
• 225 gr dried fruit, soak for several hours or overnight in water to cover
• 25 gr blanched almonds, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make the stuffing.
Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes until soft ; add the ground cinnamon and cumin and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Drain the dried fruit, chop it roughly and add to the stuffing with the almonds ; season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes more.
Spoon into a bowl and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.
Stuff the neck of the chicken with the fruit mixture, reserving any excess ; brush the garlic and spice oil over the chicken.
Place the chicken in a roasting tin, tuck in the bay leaves and roast for 1-1¼ hours, basting occasionally with the juices, until cooked.

Transfer the chicken to a carving board.
Pour off any excess fat from the roasting tin ; stir the honey, tomato purée, lemon juice, stock and harissa into the juices in the tin and add salt to taste.
Bring to the boil, then simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, reheat any extra stuffing ; carve the chicken, pour the sauce into a bowl, and serve it with the stuffing and chicken.

BON APPÉTIT