Slow-Roasted Chicken with Preserved Lemon

Ingredients

• ●1 whole chicken (3½ to 4 pounds)
• ●2 preserved lemons (store-bought or homemade), rinsed and finely chopped
• ●4 tablespoons softened butter
• ●4 cloves garlic, minced
• ●1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• ●1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ●½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• ●Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ●1 large onion, quartered
• ●1 cup green olives (Castelvetrano or any mild green olive)
• ●1 cup chicken stock
• ●Fresh parsley and cilantro, for garnish

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F).
2. Mix the softened butter with half the chopped preserved lemon, the garlic, thyme, cumin, and paprika.
3. Pat the chicken very dry. Gently loosen the skin over the breasts and thighs. Spread two-thirds of the butter mixture under the skin, directly on the meat. Rub the remaining butter over the outside of the bird.
4. Season the outside generously with pepper and lightly with salt (the preserved lemon is very salty). Stuff the cavity with the onion quarters.
5. Place the chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan or Dutch oven. Scatter the olives and remaining preserved lemon around the bird. Pour the stock into the pan.
6. Roast for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes with the pan juices, until the skin is golden and the internal temperature reaches 74°C (165°F) at the thickest part of the thigh.
7. Rest for 15 minutes before carving.
8. Serve with the olives and pan juices spooned over the chicken. Garnish with fresh herbs. Couscous or crusty bread is the ideal accompaniment to soak up the sauce.
9. *Storage:** Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Use the carcass for stock.
10. *Seasonal note:** To make preserved lemons, pack whole lemons (quartered but not cut through) with lots of kosher salt in a jar. Press down, seal, and leave at room temperature for 3 to 4 weeks, shaking occasionally. The lemons soften and the rind becomes the usable part — salty, tangy, and essential in North African and Middle Eastern cooking. A jar in the refrigerator lasts for a year.