Peer beyond the title and you'll find this alternative to the classic roast chicken is simple to prepare.
Chicken bricks act like mini-ovens, cooking the contents in their own moisture. The terracotta stores then distributes heat without causing the fat to burn, while the dry walls mean the chicken still browns as it would in a normal oven. If you or your family like chicken, I'd urge you to buy one.
The results taste fabulous with the homemade harissa paste, and served with the tasty and colourful pomegranate couscous dazzle the eyes as well as the palate.
Moroccan spiced chicken cooked in a brick with pomegranate couscous
Serves 4
1 whole chicken (1.3kg-1.5kg)
10g thyme
[BOLD]Harissa paste
100g dried red chillies
10g ground cumin
10g ground coriander
4 garlic cloves
5g salt
100ml olive oil
1 lemon
[BOLD]Couscous
200ml chicken stock
200ml orange juice
300g couscous
2 pomegranates
20g mint
20g coriander
Set the oven to 220C/gas mark 7.
Start by making the harissa paste. Cover the dried chillies in boiling water and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Once rested, add the chillies to a pestle and mortar along with the cumin, coriander, garlic and salt. Crush well to form a paste, adding the olive oil gradually. Once the oil is incorporated add the zest of the lemon, reserving the rest of the lemon for cooking the chicken.
To cook the chicken, place the reserved lemon and the thyme inside the cavity of the chicken and rub the harissa paste all over the bird. Place the chicken in the brick, put the lid on top and put the brick into the oven for 45 minutes.
Now remove the chicken from the brick and leave it to rest for a further 20 minutes.
While the chicken rests, prepare the couscous by bringing the chicken stock and orange juice to the boil in a medium-sized pan. Add the couscous and a pinch of salt to the pan, mix everything together then remove the pan from heat. Cover the pan with a lid and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
While the couscous finishes cooking, cut open the pomegranates and scoop out the flesh. Chop the mint and coriander roughly.
Once the couscous is cooked, add the pomegranate flesh and herbs and fluff it up with a fork.
To serve, place the couscous in warm bowls and serve the chicken inside the brick at the table. Remove the lid, carve the chicken and enjoy.
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