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:
- Preheat oven to 350F
- 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
- 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.
- Add in paprika, 1 tsp salt and pepper and grind until mixture is roughly ground.
- Mince 1 garlic clove and add to the bowl. Drizzle in 1/4 cup of olive oil and stir mixture. Set aside.
- 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.
- Arrange the potatoes around the periphery of a 10-inch Matheson cast iron pan leaving a well in the middle to place the chicken.
- Place the chicken in the middle of the pan and coat with spice mixture. Drizzle with honey.
- Place in the oven until skin is crisp and chicken is cooked through, about 75 minutes. Let rest for 20 minutes before enjoying.
- 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.