Gemma's Middle Eastern Chicken
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Serves: 4-6 people
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1 onion, chopped
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2 carrots, diced (I chopped these, oops, I wasn't paying attention)
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3-4 tablespoons oil
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1.5kg/3 lb free range, organic chicken (I kept the chicken whole or you could joint it into 8 pieces)
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1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1 teaspoon allspice
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3 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
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60ml/2fl oz brandy
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1 pomegranate
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salt and pepper
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handful of roughly chopped, toasted pistachios (optional)
Buyer's tip: Pomegranate molasses can be found at Middle Eastern stores and at some larger gourmet stores. It is very different from plain molasses and cannot be substituted for that without changing the taste significantly.
Step 1 - Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. In a Dutch oven, cook the onion and carrots with the olive oil over low heat until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove and place in a bowl. Turn up the heat, add the chicken and brown on both sides turning carefully with tongs for about 5 minutes. Return the carrots and onion to the Dutch oven and add cayenne pepper an allspice and coat the chicken carefully on top breast side up. Add 2 tablespoons of the pomegranate molasses and half of the brandy.
Step 2 - Place lid on Dutch oven and bake for 1.5 hours (45 minutes if you are using pieces). Add up to 125ml or half a cup of water if it is drying up (mine didn't dry up at all with the lid on although with foil I'd imagine there might be some drying out).
Step 3 - Turn the heat up to 200C/400F and spoon the juices on top of the chicken and cook for 10 minutes to brown the top.
Step 4 - Take the Dutch oven out of the oven and place it on top of the stove on low heat. Add half of the Pomegranate seeds the remaining tablespoon of pomegranate molasses and remaining half of the brandy. Cook for 3 minutes to cook off the alcohol. Top with remaining pomegranate seeds and chopped, toasted pistachios. They suggest serving it with plain rice. I used pearl couscous.