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D’jaj m’Hamer
Serves 4-6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 1 x 1.5kg free-range chicken, spatchcocked
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 2 red onions, finely chopped
- 200g chicken livers, finely chopped to a pulp
- 180g pitted green olives
- 2 preserved lemons, pips scraped out and flesh finely chopped
- 30g butter
For the marinade
- 2tsp ground cumin
- 1tsp ground black pepper
- 2tsp paprika
- 1⁄2tsp ground turmeric
- 2tsp ground ginger
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- pinch saffron strands
- zest and juice 1 lemon
- 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- small handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped
- small handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 4tbsp olive oil
To serve
- small handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
- lemon wedges
- green salad
- chips
Method
Put all the ingredients for the marinade into a spice grinder. Season well and blend to a smooth paste.
Cut a few slits into the legs of the chicken and place in a shallow dish. Rub the paste all over the bird making sure that it is completely covered. Push the marinade under the skin. Cover and marinate overnight.
Heat the oil in a large, lidded shallow pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes. Add the chicken livers, olives and preserved lemons, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Place the chicken, breast-side down, in the pan and pour over enough water to cover by around two- thirds (about 650ml). Bring to the boil over a high heat, then cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 11⁄2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and beautifully juicy. If the lid doesn’t quite close, weight it down with something heavy to reduce evaporation.
Preheat the grill to high. Remove the chicken from the sauce and place on a baking tray. Rub the butter over the top and place under the hot grill for 10 minutes until golden and crispy. Remove from the grill and place in a warm serving dish. Cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring the pan with the juices back to the boil over a medium-high heat and reduce, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes. Spoon some of the juices over the chicken and serve the remainder in a bowl. Scatter over the parsley and serve immediately with lemon wedges, chips and a green salad.
Note: To spatchcock your chicken, place it breast-side down on a chopping board. Use a really strong pair of scissors to cut it, either side of the spine, from the neck to the tail, cutting through the rib bones as you go. Remove the spine and discard. Now pull apart the chicken and open it out. Turn it over and push down onto the breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten the chicken out.
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