Olive and pistachio chicken

Not sure what we’re more excited about – a chook with a gluten-free stuffing or a dish that is a main and a side all in one. Either way, this dish is finger-licking good. ~MMCC

Credit: Harper Collins

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  2 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 2 kg whole chicken
• 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock

Stuffing

• 100 g (⅔ cup) shelled pistachio nuts 
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil 
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp sweet paprika
• 130 g (1 cup) pitted green olives, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cup packed, flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp sultanas (golden raisins) 2 cinnamon sticks
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Chicken spice

• 1 tsp ground turmeric 
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 tsp Moroccan seasoning or ras el hanout
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Resting time: 15 minutes

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C.You will need a roasting pan large enough to fit the chicken.

To make the stuffing, place the pistachio nuts on a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes or until golden. Roughly chop.

Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over medium–high heat, sauté the onion in the oil for about 15 minutes or until golden. Add the garlic and stir for a minute, then add the turmeric and sweet paprika and stir for another minute until fragrant. One by one, add the pistachio nuts, olives, tomato, parsley, sultanas and cinnamon sticks, stirring after adding each addition. Stir in the salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

To make the chicken spice, in a small bowl, mix together the turmeric, paprika, Moroccan seasoning (or ras el hanout), salt, pepper and olive oil. Place the chicken in the roasting pan and rub the spice mixture generously all over the chicken, including under the skin.

Fill the chicken with the stuffing and the cinnamon sticks. If there isn’t enough room for all of the stuffing, put any remaining into the pan beside the chicken.

Pour the chicken stock into the pan, cover the dish with foil and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and roast for a further 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced at the thigh joint. Remove from the oven, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe and image from It’s Always About the Food by the Monday Morning Cooking Club (Harper Collins, hb, $49.99). 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.