Friday, January 14, 2011

Moroccan Spiced Grilled Chicken (Djej Mechoui)


Just one more sleep before our big move; I can't begin to tell you how relieved I am with everything packed and the rain has finally stopped after raining non stop for a week. I haven't been cooking much but I did manage to find this dish that I cooked a while back. This is a very simple and delicious chicken dish that is also perfect for a summer bbq, that is if we are getting any nice sunny days at all. For those who are not very keen of dealing with a whole bird, chicken maryland will be a wonderful substitute.
P.S Internet at our new home will not be connected until the 28th but I will find  way to post regularly. have a wonderful weekend and happy cooking.



recipe adapted from The food of Morocco
serves 2 with a side salad
oven preheated at 180 C
you'll need;
1 free range chicken, butterflied
pinch of saffron threads
1 tsp of sea salt
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1.5 tsp of paprika
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
2 tsp of ground cumin
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1 tbs of lemon juice
1 tbs of olive oil
2 lemons
2 tbs of icing sugar
lemon wedges



To butterfly the chicken - cut of the back bones using a pair of kitchen scissors and flatten it breasts side up. Cut into 2 halves.



To prepare the marinade - pound garlic, saffron and sea salt into a paste. Slowly add in the other spices, olive oil and lemon juice.



Marinate chicken overnight or for at least an hour.



Grill chicken on a hot griddle to get the lovely grilled marks.



Finish off in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, rest chicken for 10 minutes before serving.



Grill lemon wedges on the hot griddle and set aside.



Sprinkle chicken with a little icing sugar and serve with a simple tomato, cucumber and onion salad.

27 comments:

  1. Selamat berpindah ke rumah baru Tummies sekelian:)semoga segalanya berjalan dengan lancar:)sedap nampak ayam ni dan pastinya sihat...menu yg sihat.

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  2. Mouthwatering!
    Good luck with your move!

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  3. Una pinta muy rica y dordita.
    Feliz 2011.
    Besitos.
    ;-D

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  4. SLurp,mouthwatering grilled chicken..

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  5. that looks easy and delicious tummies! hope everythign goes well wth the move :)

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  6. Mouth-watering chicken. Looks like this is the moving house season .... Sonia is moving into her new house too.

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  7. I'm feeling nostalgic just by looking at the photos. It looks absolutely delicious.

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  8. Harriet from carltonJanuary 14, 2011 at 11:04 PM

    Love the chicken on the green plate! happy moving!

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  9. This is great on the barbie indeed. Good luck with the move buddy!

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  10. Saffron and cumin and garlic - oh my. I'm ready. I'd let that marinate all night. This is one flavorful bird. Best of luck with the move!

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  11. oh Yum!!! That bird is packed with flavour.

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  12. Looks totally flavourful and fingerlicking.
    Good luck with move.
    Angie

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  13. Good luck with the big move my friend. Hope to see you back here soon. Hmm, must fire up the barbie soon to try out this delicious looking chicken.

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  14. Help! Your chicken recipe looks truly mouthwatering. If you like picture linkys and blog hops, a Decidedly Healthy or Horridly Decadent hop has just begun (Sat party, but open for entries until Mon noon). But, the decidedly healthy (whole grain, poultry, fish or veggie) recipes are in short supply. Consider sharing your recipe with the folks following this hop:
    http://ceodraiocht.wordpress.com/decidedly-healthy-or-horridly-decadent-blog-hop.
    Older posts that fit the theme are also a-ok. Posting 2 recipes also ok.
    Thanks!!
    Maggie

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  15. Oh wow.. you grilled the lemons as well! Does that give it a nice charred taste? I shall try grilling lemons next!

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  16. wow this looks amazing :-) all the best for the move hope you love the new place

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  17. wow the chicken looks so mouth-watering!

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  18. Thank goodness that the rain has finally stopped. Good luck on your move! Thanks for sharing this great chicken recipe with us, before you moved.

    Cheers.
    Velva

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  19. Sounds like it would have a really interesting taste, I just might try this one.

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  20. I've cooked this dish quite a few times. It's very good in the winter as it gives a little bit of sunshine to an otherwise dull grey days, as we are having now.

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  21. Congrats on another great dish!
    Looks delicious and so well cooked.

    Big hugs!
    B xx

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  22. I like checking out all the great ideas for chicken...great spices here. I never thought of grilling the lemons like that! They looks awesome!

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  23. Just beautiful! That looks so delicious. I wonder if it would be good to marinate overnight or if that would make the flavor too bitter? I may try an overnight marinade.

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  24. Hi,
    Great food blog- love ur pics n recipes!
    Can u advise the weight of the chicken u used in recipes like above - using 1 whole chicken?

    Thks,
    Susanna

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    Replies
    1. Thank you! :)
      It's a regular chicken weighing around 1.5 kg

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  25. Thks for the quick reply! :)

    Susanna

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