Roast Chicken with Cumin and Coriander

Preparation time: 20 minutes; Roasting time: 1.30-1.45 hours; Serves. 4

Ingredients for the Spice Mix

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1-2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• ½ inch cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt

Other ingredients

• 1.5-1.8kg (3.5-4 Ib) whole chicken, washed, inside and out, trimmed off fat and patted dry, inside and out
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Chopped carrots, onions and celery

For the gravy

• 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour mixed with ½ cup water
• ¼ cup white wine
• Roasting juices from the pan.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC) ten minutes before using. Roast the cumin, coriander, peppercorns and cinnamon bark in a small skillet (do not burn). Transfer to a spice grinder and grind to powder. Mix this powder with the olive oil or melted butter and salt, and set aside. (I usually triple the spice mix and keep the remainder in an airtight container)
2. Sprinkle the inside of the chicken liberally with salt and freshly ground pepper. Carefully lift the skin and rub half of the ground spices evenly under the skin. Close the cavity with a toothpick or small skewer. Truss the chicken.
3. Carefully rub the remaining ground spices evenly over the whole chicken. Place the chopped veggies in the roasting pan and place the chicken on top, breast side up. (The vegetables will help create moisture and also enhance the gravy)
4. Roast the chicken in the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Remove the chicken and baste with juices from the roasting pan. (if the chicken browns too fast cover loosely with a foil for 20-30 minutes-do not cover in the last 30 minutes)
5. Continue roasting for another 30-45 minutes basting every fifteen minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked..
6. Remove the chicken from the oven, baste with roasting juices and set aside, covered, for 15 minutes to rest.
7. To make Gravy: skim off the oil from the roasting pan and transfer the juices to a small sauce pan. Add the water-flour mixture and white wine. Bring to the boil, stirring continuously and then simmer 5-10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Check seasoning. Serve in a gravy boat.
8. Carve the chicken and serve. Please note that I roasted some potatoes alongside the chicken.

Points to Note

• Tip from Jamie Oliver: you can tell the chicken is cooked when the thigh meat pulls easily away from the bone and the juices run clear.
• My chicken roasted perfectly in 1 hour 45 minutes. The time the chicken will take depends on the size of the chicken, your oven and the type of roasting pan you use.
• If you have an instant read thermometer then the safe internal minimum temperature for cooked chicken is 165°F (75°C).
• Last updated: 9 April 2017

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