Harissa Roast Chicken
Author: 
 
a whole roasted chicken seasoned with spicy harissa and ras el hanout spices.
Ingredients
  • 1 whole chicken with skin, preferably organic or free range
  • ¼ cup or more harissa paste, homemade or store bought
  • 2 teaspoons Ras el Hanout spice mix (optional)
  • extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
  • sea salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Clean and dry the chicken.
  2. Smear the chicken with the harissa paste getting under the skin.
  3. I loosen the skin first, make a few slits with a knife or just poke here and there under the skin on the breast and leg and thigh, and smear the harissa into the slits and all over.
  4. Pat the skin back in place and rub more paste all over the top and rub some in the cavity too.
  5. Drizzle olive oil and massage into the chicken.
  6. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes (longer is better)
  7. When ready to roast, preheat the oven to 400℉/200℃
  8. Allow to the chicken to lose the chill from the fridge for about 15 minutes.
  9. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper over the top.
  10. Place in a roasting rack or a rack made with crumpled up foil and placed under the chicken in a baking pan/sheet.
  11. Roast for 45-60 minutes.
  12. Check the chicken to be golden brown and charred in places, and for the juices to come out clear when pierced.
  13. Let it rest 10-15 minutes before cutting.
Notes
As you can tell from the photos, I don't truss my chicken. I find it takes too long to cook the inside and then you don't get the nice crispy skin all over. So, though my chicken isn't quite attractive, it's cooked through and has lots of crispy skin. If your chicken is organic or free range, the fat that is rendered from the chicken, can be used to sauté green beans or potatoes. Here, the fat is nice and spicy and adds great flavor to sautéed vegetables.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 1454 Fat: 82g Saturated fat: 23g Unsaturated fat: 50g Carbohydrates: 5g Sugar: 1g Sodium: 2140mg Fiber: 2g Protein: 164g Cholesterol: 526mg
Recipe by Coffee and Crumpets at https://www.coffeeandcrumpets.com/harissa-roast-chicken/