Harvey's Moroccan Roast Chicken

SUBMITTED BY: MONKEYCAT PHOTO BY: Minichef

"Paprika, fresh mint, and lemon make the best rub for this roast chicken. It roasts slowly under the foil and turns out so juicy and flavorful. I throw baby carrots and cut potatoes in the bottom of the pan and it makes a full meal! For a spicier version of this recipe use 'hot' paprika. It seems like a lot of work to get all the spices together--but it's SO worth it. My husband asks for it once a week."

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PREP TIME	20 Min
COOK TIME	2 Hrs
READY IN	2 Hrs 30 Min

SERVINGS

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Servings
USMETRIC

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

Dry Spice Mix:
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/8 teaspoon fennel seed, ground
3/4 teaspoon sesame seeds, ground
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
Spice Paste:
2 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
2 cups baby carrots
2 small lemons
1 (4 pound) roasting chicken, rinsed and patted dry

What to Drink?
	Rose

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
For the spice mix: Mix together in a bowl the cloves, pepper, fennel, sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom. Set aside.
For the spice paste: Place the paprika, lemon juice, the spice mix (from Step 2), salt, chopped mint, black pepper and garlic cloves in a blender. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and blend to until ingredients are mixed, about 6 or 8 pulses. Slowly add the additional olive oil if mixture seems too thick to spread. Blend just until mixture is a smooth paste.
Spread potatoes and carrots in a roasting pan. Rub about 1/4 of the spice paste inside the cavity of the chicken. Rub the remainder of the paste on the outside of the chicken including the underside. Place the chicken directly on the carrots and potatoes. Pierce the 2 lemons all over with a fork, and place them into the chicken cavity.
Tent the chicken with aluminum foil. Roast approximately 2 hours until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 180 degrees F (80 degrees C) and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

FOOTNOTE

When I make the spice mix, I quadruple the ingredients listed above and store the remaining 3 tablespoons in an airtight container for 3 more chickens. With a larger batch, you can use whole spices: whole cloves, peppercorns, fennel seeds, coriander seeds and cumin seeds and grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder. Saves work for the next time you make this spicy chicken!