Moroccan Harrissa -Spiced Roast Chicken

You can get Harrissa in speciality shops, either Mediterranean or Middle Eastern this is a slightly more complicated than usual but well worth the effort. If you make this please take a photo and post together with the recipe thank you

Keith Vigon @cook_4574654

United Kingdom

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Ingredients

1.5 kgchicken
2-4 tbspgarlic and spice aromatic oil (I will check to see if I have a recipe for this)
A fewbay leaves
2 tspclear honey
1 teaspoontomato purée
4 tbsplemon juice
150 mLchicken stock
1 teaspoonHarrissa
Stuffing
25 gbutter
1onion, chopped
1garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 tspground cinnamon
1/2 tspground cumin
225 gdried fruit. (Soaked for several hours or overnight in water that covers the fruit)
25 gblanched almonds, finely chopped
to tasteSalt and ground black pepperto taste

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Steps

1

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
2

Drain the dried fruits, chop roughly and add to the stuffing with the almonds. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes more. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool
3

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
4

Stuff the neck of the chicken with the fruit mixture preserving 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 1/2 hours basting occasionally with the juices until cooked
5

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 Harrissa into the juices in the roasting tin. Add salt to taste. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
6

Meanwhile reheat any excess stuffing.
7

Carve the chicken for the source into a small bowl and serve with the stopping and chicken