Chicken marinated in pomegranate molasses, yogurt and spices
Molasses has a sweet-sour flavour, a little like tamarind and is softened by the yogurt, which also helps to tenderise the meat. You can serve it with spinach tossed with white beans and olive oil, and leeks halved lengthways, roasted until soft and crispy around the edges.
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
For the Marinade
For the Chicken
Method
Step 1
Crush the garlic using a pestle and mortar with a large pinch of salt. In a dry frying pan, toast the cumin and coriander seeds for a minute, until wisps of smoke rise and they smell toasty. Add these to the mortar and grind with the pestle. Add all the other marinade ingredients, plus 1tbsp fine salt and mix to a paste.
Step 2
Place the chicken pieces in one layer in a roasting tin and massage the marinade into the pieces. Try to leave it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan oven 160°C/mark 4.
Step 3
Pour the olive oil over the chicken and cook for 40 minutes. Then increase the heat to 200°C/fan oven 180°C/mark 6 for 10 minutes, to brown the skin. Remove from the oven and rest for up to 20 minutes in a warm place.
Step 4
To serve, slice the breast meat, separate the drumsticks from the thighs and cut the thighs in half along the bone. Arrange on a plate with the chopped coriander leaves sprinkled on top. Pour the juice from the roasting tin into a jug and serve alongside.
