Ingredients
- 3 lemons
- 60 g (2 1/4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1.6 kg (3 lb 8 oz) chicken
- 250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) chicken stock
- 40 g (1 1/2 oz/1/4 cup) currants
- 280 g (10 oz/1 1/4 cups) couscous
- 30 g (1 oz) butter, chopped
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 80 g (2 3/4 oz/1/2 cup) almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
- 45 g (1 1 1/4 oz/1/4 cup) dried apricots, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, finely chopped
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Lightly oil a roasting pan. Finely grate the zest from one of the lemons. Halve the lemon, squeeze 1 tablespoon of juice and set aside. Cut the lemon into quarters and set aside. Combine 1 teaspoon of the zest with the butter, garlic, paprika and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Mix well with a fork and season with freshly ground black pepper. Reserve the remaining zest.
2. Remove any excess fat from the chicken, then rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Slide a finger under the skin of each breast to make a pocket (taking care not to break the skin) and loosen the skin on the thickest part of the thigh flesh. Spoon the butter mixture into the cavities between the skin and the flesh. Season the chicken with sea salt. Place the lemon quarters in the chicken cavity and tie the legs together. Place the chicken in the prepared pan and roast for 1 1/4 hours, or until the skin is crisp and the chicken is cooked through.
3. Meanwhile, combine the stock and 125 ml (4 fl oz/1/4 cup) water in a small saucepan and bring just to the boil.
4. Place the currants, couscous and butter in a large bowl, pour the hot liquid over the top, stir to combine and cover with plastic wrap. Stand for 5 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
5. Combine the onion and reserved lemon juice in a small bowl and stand for 10 minutes. Add the remaining lemon zest, the onion mixture, almonds, apricots and parsley to the couscous mixture. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Halve the remaining two lemons and cook, cut side down, in a medium non-stick frying pan or chargrill pan over high heat until browned and caramelised. Cut the chicken into serving pieces. Divide the couscous evenly among plates, top with the chicken and serve with the lemon halves.
