Pot-roast baharat-spiced chicken with jewelled giant couscous & minted yogurt
Prep
15 mins
Cook
1 hr 10 mins
Servings
6
Difficulty
Medium
This is one of my favourite weeknight dinners because it's genuinely simple yet feels restaurant worthy. You roast a whole chicken with warm baharat spices, shallot and celery in white wine, then serve it alongside fluffy giant couscous studded with jewel like cherries and pine nuts. The real magic is the minted yogurt spooned on top, which adds a cool, tangy contrast to the warm spiced chicken. Greek yogurt is packed with probiotics that support digestion, and the whole meal comes together in just over an hour without fussy techniques. It's the kind of dish that makes you look like you've spent all day cooking when really you've barely spent any time in the kitchen.
Ella x
Ingredients
- 2 tspcooks' ingredients baharat seasoning(Cooks’ Ingredients Baharat Spice Blend)
- ¼ tspfine salt( fine salt, plus extra for seasoning)
- 3 tbspextra virgin olive oil
- 1free range whole chicken(About 1.7kg No.1 British Free Range Whole Chicken)
- 1shallot(shallot, finely diced)
- 2celery(sticks celery, finely diced)
- 175 mlsgerman riesling(dry Riesling (or other dry white wine))
- 120 gramsgiant wholemeal couscous
- 60 gramsdried cherries(dried cherries, plus extra to garnish)
- 35 gramspine nuts
- 125 gramsessential greek yogurt(Essential Natural Greek Style Yogurt)
- 25 gramsmint( pack mint, leaves finely chopped)
- 1 tspred wine vinegar
Detail level
Instructions
- 1
In a small bowl, combine the spice blend, salt and 1½ tbsp oil. Rub the paste over the chicken, using your hands. Cover, then set aside to rest for 30 minutes, or overnight (chilled, if longer than 1 hour).
- 2
Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Select a flame and ovenproof casserole that’s big enough to snugly hold the chicken, and tall enough to put a lid on once the bird is inside (an oval-shaped dish is ideal). Set over a medium-high heat, then add ½ tbsp oil, the shallot, celery and a big pinch of salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a little glossy but not coloured.
- 3
Add the wine, allow to simmer for 1 minute, then add 500ml water. Place the chicken into the dish, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.
- 4
Remove the casserole from the oven and place on the hob or a heatproof mat. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Stir the couscous, cherries and pine nuts into the cooking liquid, return the chicken to the pot and drizzle with the remaining oil. Cook for 25-30 minutes more, on the highest shelf with the lid off, until the chicken is golden and cooked through with no pink meat and juices that run clear. The couscous should be tender and the cooking liquor reduced a little
- 5
Let the chicken rest in the pot for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the yogurt, mint, vinegar and a good pinch of salt.
- 6
Transfer the brothy couscous to a large platter and top with portioned chicken. Or carve it at the table, ladling the couscous directly from the casserole. Garnish with extra cherries and some coriander, if liked, and make sure everyone adds a large dollop of yogurt to their plate.
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