Harissa and honey roast chicken

A whole chicken curved a little with fork still on in a black casserole.
Experience the sweet and spicy whole chicken pot-roasted in style! Rest the chicken, seasoned with Mediterranean flavours, on a bed of onions in a casserole dish to encapsulate all the delightful aromas and juices during cooking. A must to try.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Resting time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 Waitoa free range whole chicken
  • 2 brown onions
  • 2 tbsp harissa paste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 lemon quartered
  • 3 garlic cloves peeled but kept whole
  • Rosemary

To serve

  • Parsley
  • Couscous
  • Slivered almonds toasted, to garnish the couscous
  • 1 lemon halved

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 160°C.
  • Slice the onions in third crosswise and place them at the bottom of the Agile casserole.
  • Whisk together the harissa, honey, oil, spices and seasoning. Spread the harissa mixture all over the chicken inside and out*. Fill the cavity with garlic cloves and lemon quarters and secure the legs with kitchen twine.
  • Place the chicken on top of the onion and roast for 1 and 1/2 hours, casserole lid on. Check the chicken and baste with the cooking juices every 30 minutes. Remove the lid and continue roasting to crisp up the skin.
  • After 2 hours, use a thermometer to check the internal temperature. You want the temperature to sit at 76°C or slightly above. Put the chicken back in the oven for short bursts of time until you reach this temperature.
  • Bring the casserole dish out and allow the chicken to rest for 20 minutes while you prepare the couscous.
  • Serve whole garnished with fresh parsley.

Notes

*If the honey hardens, pop the spice paste in the microwave a little to soften it so it’s easier to spread.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

1 Comment

  1. […] a traditional Sunday roast with gravy to a more adventurous Harissa and Honey roasted chicken, Waitoa Free Range Chicken is the perfect centrepiece for all your winter feasts.  Available from […]

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating








This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.