I love to pot roast a chicken. Apart from the obvious attraction of having a one pot cook, this recipe is packed full of flavour and the left overs are just as lovely the next day. Pot roasting results in a wonderful succulent bird that falls off the bone.
Always buy the best chicken you can afford. If you don’t like chipotle, this can be replaced with harissa paste.
EQUIPMENT: You’ll need a casserole or large pan with a lid, big enough for the bird and space for the couscous at the end.
1 ltr of good quality chicken stock
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1.4kg whole chicken
2 tbsp chipotle paste
250g couscous
150g bulgur wheat
1 tsp salt
Fresh coriander to garnish
Fresh mint to garnish
1 lemon, cut into quarters
Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan and warm the stock.
Heat the oil in the casserole over a medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until soft, around 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir through the onions then add the ground cumin and ground coriander and cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the hot stock and place the bird in the pan. Season with salt and pepper, cover and put in the oven for 1hr 20mins.
Remove from the oven and check that the juices run clear when pricked at the leg. If your bird is bigger than 1.4kg it may need a little longer.
When the bird is done, stir the chipotle paste and 1tsp of salt into the stock and finally sprinkle the couscous and bulgar wheat into the stock around the edge of the bird. Place the lid back on and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven but leave the lid on and steam for a further 5 minutes.
To serve, remove the lid and sprinkle with coriander and mint and serve with the lemon wedges.
- 1 ltr chicken stock
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions chopped
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1.4 kg whole chicken
- 2 tbsp chipotle paste
- 250 g couscous
- 150 g bulgur wheat
- 1 tsp salt
- mint leaves for garnish
- coriander leaves to garnish
- 1 lemon quartered
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan and warm the stock.
- Heat the oil in the casserole over a medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook until soft, around 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir through the onions then add the ground cumin and ground coriander and cook for 1 minute.
- Pour in the hot stock and place the bird in the pan. Season with salt and pepper, cover and put in the oven for 1hr 20mins.
- Remove from the oven and check that the juices run clear when pricked at the leg. If your bird is bigger than 1.4kg it may need a little longer.
- When the bird is done, stir the chipotle paste and 1tsp of salt into the stock and finally sprinkle the couscous and bulgar wheat into the stock around the edge of the bird. Place the lid back on and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven but leave the lid on and steam for a further 5 minutes.
- To serve, remove the lid and sprinkle with coriander and mint and serve with the lemon wedges.
