A Moroccan friend advised me that once you start using preserved lemons you use them in everything. I'm not there yet, but this adds a great twist on the traditional roast chicken: Anglo-Moorish fusion cooking



1 medium free range chicken
2 small preserved lemons, quartered
pinch of saffron, lightly crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
300ml (1/2pt) of chicken stock
flour to thicken gravy
salt and pepper

1. Wash the chicken and wipe away excess water. Place the quartered lemons in the cavity of the chicken. Put in a medium sized roasting tin.

2. Rub the skin with the crushed saffron and season liberally with salt and pepper. Drizzle the oil over the chicken rubbing well into the skin and the saffron.

3. Roast for 20 minutes per pound plus 20 minutes (45 minutes per kilo plus 20 minutes). Basting every 1/2 hour.

4. When cooked, remove the chicken from the oven, wrap in tin foil and place on a warmed plate, make sure all the juices from the chicken are left in the roasting tin to flavour the gravy. Leave the wrapped chicken to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes.

5. Skim any excess fat from the roasting tin, leaving about 1/2 tablespoon behind to mix with the flour. Add the flour to the tin mixing well to form a paste. Place tin over a hot plate and slowly add the chicken stock to make the gravy. Season to taste.

6. Carve rested chicken and serve with the saffron and lemon flavoured gravy.

Oven at 200C, gas mark 4. Serves 4.

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