A touch of the Middle East from a spicy baharat spice blend and mixed with a gutsy flavoured honey makes this roast chicken something special. Accompany this sensually-flavor roast with a refreshing and simple Orange and Date Salad and crusty warm bread to mop up the juices.

Ingredients

• 75 grams butter
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 70 gram packet pinenuts, toasted
• 70 gram packet flaked almonds, toasted
• 1 tsp baharat mix
• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups chicken stock or water
• 1/2 cup chopped glace quince or apricots
• 1/4 cup (mellow or seasoning) honey
• 1.8 kg chicken

Glaze

• 1/4 cup (mellow or seasoning) honey
• 50 grams butter, softened
• 1-2 tsp baharat spice mix (see separate recipe)

Method

1. Heat the butter in a saucepan and when hot toss in the onion and cook gently for 8-10 minutes until the onion is tender. Add the pinenuts, almonds, baharat and rice and cook gently for 1-2 minutes or until the spices are quite fragrant and the rice has been well-coated in the spice mix.
2. Stir in half the chicken stock, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat without lifting the lid and stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice and stir in the glace apricots and honey. Cool.
3. When cool use to fill the washed and dried cavity of the chicken. Secure the opening with a skewer and tie the legs together to keep a good shape. Mix the glaze ingredient together.
4. Roast on a foil-lined baking tray at 180°C for 1 hour. Brush the chicken with the glaze and continue to cook a further 45 minutes or until the juices run clear. If the chicken skin darken too much, cover the chicken with a piece of baking paper or foil.
5. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining chicken stock to the pan and place over a low heat, stirring to lift the flavoursome sediment from the pan and simmer 1-2 minutes. Thicken if wished with a little cornflour and season with salt.
6. Serve the chicken carved or cut into wedges with the rice stuffing, jus and the Date and Orange Salad.