Roasted Chicken and Clementines

Roasted Chicken & Clementines

Inspiration for the flavors here came from the clementine. Most of the supply comes from Morocco, and the spices here are definitely tagine-ish. The method, though, couldn’t be less exotic. Everything gets assembled in a roasting tin and blasted at high heat for a (relatively) short cook, just long enough to make some aromatic rice to go with it.

Ingredients:

Spice Mixture:

2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin

1 tsp (5 mL) ground coriander

1/2 tsp (2 mL) turmeric

1/4 tsp (1 mL) cayenne

1 tsp (5 mL) paprika

1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt

1/4 tsp (1 mL) finely ground black pepper

8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

1 cup (250 mL) chicken stock

1/2 cup (125 mL) clementine juice

8 small shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise

6 Medjool dates, pitted and quartered lengthwise

1 large clove garlic, finely grated

3 clementines, sliced 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick

1/2 cup (125 mL) oil-cured black olives (optional)

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C).

Make spice mixture by stirring spices together in a small bowl.

Add chicken to a large bowl, sprinkle spice mixture over and toss until evenly coated; set aside.

To a large, shallow roasting tin, add chicken stock, clementine juice, shallots, dates and garlic. Give everything a stir to break up the garlic, then tuck in chicken thighs, skin side up. Evenly distribute the clementine slices, doing your best to avoid placing over chicken skin (it’s okay if some of the clementine slices overlap each other).

Roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until chicken skin is crisp. Sprinkle olives over, if using, and let stand for 10 minutes before serving with basmati rice, couscous or mashed potatoes.  Serves 4