Moroccan oven-roasted chicken (djaj daghmira)
Moroccan oven-roasted chicken with a creamy sauce, daghmira, is a succulent dish with very tender, tasty chicken meat.
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INGREDIENTS
- 2 chickens about 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) each, more or less
- 1/2 preserved lemon with pulp chopped
- 2 glasses of water (350 ml / 12 oz)
- 1/2 glass olive oil (80 ml/ 2.7 oz)
- Tip of a teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
- 2 large onions chopped
- 1/3 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon saffron pistils
- 1 teaspoon food coloring faux saffron (optional)
- Giblets from both chickens
Optional spices:
- Tip of a spoonful of chicken spice. These spices include Jamaican pepper nwiwira, cardamom (qaaqlla) and mace (bssibissa).
- 1/2 teaspoon rancid butter smen gives a very good taste but is optional
Accompaniments :
- 150 g 5.3 oz blanched, oven-roasted almonds or stoneless green or purple olives.
- 1/2 preserved lemon pulp removed
PREPARATION
Peel the almonds
- Cover the almonds with water in a saucepan and bring to the boil 2 min more or less. Take an almond and see if rubbing it with your fingers will remove the skin easily.
- Rinse in cold water and trim. Leave to dry for a few minutes and brown in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for fifteen minutes. You can also brown them in an oil bath over low heat.
Cleaning the chicken
- Clean chicken thoroughly remove the core and rub it all over with half a lemon. Leave the chickens in water with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and a tablespoon of salt for around 20 minutes. You can clean them the day before and store them in the refrigerator.
- Cut necks and giblets into small pieces.
- Rinse and drain.
Prepare the chicken marinade "la chermoula" to impregnate the chickens.
- Soak saffron pistils in 2 tablespoons water.
- Place the oil, chopped preserved lemon halves, spices, rancid butter, chopped garlic cloves and coriander in a dish. Pour over the saffron pistils previously soaked in water. Mix well.
- Coat the chickens with this "chermoula" marinade on all sides, under the skin of the breast (belly) and inside.
- Cross the drumsticks of each chicken and tie them together to hold them during cooking.
- For even tastier chicken, marinate for at least 2 hours in the fridge before cooking.
Moroccan-style chicken cooking:
- Place the chickens in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Pour a little water into the dish containing the marinade and pour into the stewpot.
- Turn the chicken every 2 minutes to allow all sides to color.
- Pour in the two glasses of water and leave the chickens on their stomachs (breast side down).
- Add the chopped onions to the sauce, along with the giblets, cut into small pieces (about 2 cm).
- Cover halfway and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hours depending on the size of the chicken. From time to time, pour a little sauce over the top of the chickens. Add a little water if necessary before the end of cooking.
- Check for doneness after 45 minutes. A skewer pricked into the chicken breast should penetrate the flesh easily. You should feel that it's cooked.
- Once the chicken is cooked, turn off the heat and leave to cool a little so that you can remove the chickens easily.
- Drain chickens well before placing on a platter.
- Return the pot to the heat to reduce the sauce. The sauce should become very smooth.
How to roast chickens in the oven
- About thirty minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) in fan-assisted mode. Static heat is also suitable.
- Butter a baking tin and place the chickens on top. Coat with soft butter and bake for 25 minutes, more or less, until golden brown.
How to serve oven-roasted chicken
- Place the chickens on a serving platter and remove the threads with which you attached the drumsticks.
- You can serve them Moroccan-style, pouring the hot sauce all around. Place a little sauce with the giblets on top of the roast chickens.
- Sprinkle with toasted almonds or olives and decorate with thin slices of preserved lemon peel.
- Alternatively, serve the chickens in one dish, with the sauce and almonds on the side. Everyone will help themselves. You can also serve French fries directly in the dish or on plates.
Tried this recipe? Don't forget to tag me on @gateau_et_cuisine_rachida or #gateauetcuisinerachida!