Recipe Index

Ingredients

• 10½ oz fine breadcrumbs, dried
• 2¾oz za’atar
• ¾oz sumac
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• chicken skin, from 1 chicken
• flaky sea salt, to taste
• 1¾oz fine salt
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 medium chicken, jointed
• 1-2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 11½ oz palm sugar (jaggery)
• 15 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 red chillies, finely chopped
• 1¾oz hot pepper paste, available in specialist and Middle Eastern shops (optional)
• 5½fl oz cider vinegar
• 2 large free-range egg yolks
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• ¾fl oz cider vinegar
• 10fl oz sunflower oil
• squeeze lime juice
• 1 heaped tbsp lime pickle
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Method

1. Strip the skin from the chicken pieces except the wings, roast the skin on a tray for 40 to 50 minutes, tipping the fat off as it renders, until golden and crisp, then chop it finely once cool and turn the oven up to 400°F.
2. Boil 13½ Tbsp of water with the fine salt and smoked paprika for the brine, add 3¼ cups of cold water, cool it, pour it over the jointed chicken, and chill the chicken in it for 3 hours, then rinse and pat it dry.
3. Blend the red chillies and garlic to a coarse purée, caramelise the palm sugar in a pan over medium heat, stir in the purée and the hot pepper paste, and cook the glaze for 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Add the larger measure of cider vinegar carefully to the glaze and cook 10 to 20 minutes more until it reaches a syrup consistency.
5. Blend the egg yolks with the Dijon mustard and the smaller measure of cider vinegar, drizzle in the sunflower oil very slowly to form a mayonnaise, then blend in the lime pickle and lime juice.
6. Roast the brined chicken on a large tray with a drizzle of olive oil for about 30 minutes, until it is two thirds cooked.
7. Ladle about half the glaze over the chicken, return it to the oven for 5 minutes, then repeat with more glaze.
8. Stir the breadcrumbs, za'atar, sumac, toasted sesame seeds and chopped crisp skin together with flaky sea salt to taste for the crumb.
9. Coat the hot glazed chicken in the crumb and serve it with the lime mayonnaise and the lime wedges.

Prep: 2 h · Cook: 2 h

Nutrition (per serving, where published)

Estimated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient data