Serves 4-6 Difficulty: Medium
INGREDIENTS
- 1 whole chicken
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 1 jar Artcaffé Market shawarma spice dry rub
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 litres water
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole peppercorns
- 2 medium onions, halved
- 3 oranges
- 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 2 tbsp Artcaffé Market preserved lemon harissa
- 1/4 cup salt for brine
- Cracked pepper and salt
DIRECTIONS
For Chicken Brine (make 24 hours before)
- Place chicken in a deep bowl, add water, orange juice, bay leaves, 1/4 cup salt, and whole peppercorns. Chicken should be fully immersed.
- Cover and place in the fridge for 24 hours. Remove 3 hours prior to roasting.
For Roast
- Preheat oven to 180°C.
- In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, 2 tbsp shawarma rub, minced garlic, orange zest and 1 tsp cracked pepper.
- With a brush rub this mixture onto the chicken skin evenly. Sprinkle salt cracked pepper over chicken and inside cavity.
- Place 2 oranges inside the cavity. Tuck wings under chicken; tie drumsticks together.
- Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Arrange halved onions and oranges around chicken.
- Roast for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours basting occasionally with drippings (use a thermometer and insert into the thickest part of thigh. It should read 75-80°C). Cover loosely with foil if chicken browns too quickly.
- Once ready cover and let stand 15 minutes before carving.
For Harissa Gravy
- Pour drippings and loosened browned bits from roasting pan into a measuring cup.
- Skim off the fat. Add enough water to the drippings to measure 1 cup.