Mozarabe Roast Chicken

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg organic chicken
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sweet smoked Spanish paprika
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 75 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted cumin seeds
• peel of ½ preserved lemon, finely diced
• juice of 1 large lemon
• 1 hot red chilli, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons each chopped, mint, coriander and parsley
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• ½ cup Kalamata olives
• watercress sprigs for garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Put the chicken in a roasting pan just big enough to hold it. Mix the olive oil, the paprika and 2 cloves of the garlic and rub it all over the chicken. Season well with salt and pepper.

Place in the oven and roast, basting occasionally, for about 1 ½ hours or until the chicken is well cooked.

Remove from the oven, rest, carve and place the carved chicken on a warm serving dish.

Mix the extra virgin olive oil, cumin, preserved lemon, juice, chilli and herbs. Taste and season. Dribble this evenly over the chicken.

Sprinkle the tomatoes and olives on top and garnish with lots of watercress.

Serve with steamed rice or couscous.

Suggested Wines to Go With Today's Recipe

Chardonnay

Jackson Estate 2005 (Shelter Belt)

St. Clair 2005

Pinot

Clayridge 2005

Herzog 2004

Shiraz

Jacob's Creek Grenache-Shiraz 2005

Bilancia La Collina 2004 (Syrah)