Michelle's Chicken Dinner w/ Olive Jam

INGREDIENTS for chicken & potatoes:

1/2 lemon

A few sprigs of thyme

1 3-4 lb whole chicken

1 tbsp cumin seed

2 tsp coriander seed

2 dried chilis

1 tbsp sweet paprika

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

2 tsp salt

3 garlic cloves

1/2 cup olive oil, divided

2 tbsp honey

4-5 yellow flesh potatoes, thinly sliced on a mandolin

 

INGREDIENTS for olive jam:

1 cup Cerignola olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup golden raisins

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp orange marmelade

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Stuff 1/2 the lemon and thyme into the cavity of the chicken. Truss the bird and pat the skin dry with a paper towel. Set aside
  3. Toast cumin, coriander and dry chilis in a cast iron pan over medium until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Shaking the pan often. Transfer to the bowl of a mortar and pestle.
  4. Add in paprika, 1 tsp salt and pepper and grind until mixture is roughly ground.
  5. Mince 1 garlic clove and add to the bowl. Drizzle in 1/4 cup of olive oil and stir mixture. Set aside.
  6. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the remaining olive oil and remaining salt. Mince the 2 remaining garlic cloves and add to the bowl. Toss potatoes to evenly coat.
  7. Arrange the potatoes around the periphery of a 10-inch Matheson cast iron pan leaving a well in the middle to place the chicken.
  8. Place the chicken in the middle of the pan and coat with spice mixture. Drizzle with honey.
  9. Place in the oven until skin is crisp and chicken is cooked through, about 75 minutes. Let rest for 20 minutes before enjoying.
  10. To make the olive jam, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir. Let the flavours meld for minimum 30 minutes then enjoy with the chicken.