I got an idea to prepare Turmeric Chicken from ‘Bavel for pa arty, it was the easy juiciest chicken I didn’t ever have before in my life. serve it with a side of toum.
Ingredients
- For the chicken
- Turmeric 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
- Oranges 2 teaspoons ground dried orange peel
- Fennel seeds 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
- Cumin 3⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin
- Coriander 11⁄2 teaspoons ground coriander
- Garlic 1 garlic clove, grated with a Micro plane
- Fresh turmeric 1-inch piece of fresh turmeric, peeled and grated with a Micro plane
- Orange Juice 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
- Orange Blossom Water 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
- Greek Yogurt 3⁄4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- Chicken One 31⁄2-pound whole chicken, neck, wingtips, and innards removed
- Salt 1 tablespoon plus 2 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Black Pepper 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Toum
- Garlic 14 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- Lemon Juice 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Salt 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
- Orange Blossom Water 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- Canola Oil 11⁄3 cups canola oil
Instructions
Steps:
- To make the marinade: In a bowl, combine the ground turmeric, orange peel, fennel, cumin, coriander, garlic, and fresh turmeric. Then add the orange juice, orange blossom water, and yogurt and stir to combine.
- To prepare the chicken: Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper. Rub some of the marinade inside the cavity of the chicken.
- Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. I like to keep the wings loose and not tied so the breasts and wings get crispy.
- Evenly season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on a sheet pan and let it sit, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then rub the marinade all over the outside. (It may seem like a lot but use it all.) Transfer the sheet pan, uncovered, to the refrigerator and marinate overnight.
- When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours prior to cooking. (Cooking the chicken cold will take longer and might dry out the meat.)
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the chicken breast side up on the rack of a roasting pan. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes (if the skin is browning too quickly, decrease the heat to 375°F), until the meat between the leg and thigh feels tender to the touch or using an instant-read thermometer placed in the thigh, the temperature reaches 160° to 165°F. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes to let the juices redistribute. Cut off the kitchen twine, carve, and serve with a side of toum.
To make the Toum:
- Combine the garlic, lemon juice, salt, and orange blossom water in a blender. Pulse on the lowest setting until just combined. Then in a slow and steady stream, add the oil while continuing to blend on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium-high until the mixture has fully emulsified. The consistency should be similar to mayonnaise with some soft peaks.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The consistency will thicken slightly after refrigeration.
Note: The garlic is what binds the oil with the other liquids to make more of a solidified consistency. If you double this recipe, it will be even easier for your blender to emulsify the ingredients.
