Chermoula Spiced Chicken

While Autumn introduces new dishes in our regular menu rotation, I have gotten bored with our regular menu rotation.  So I've been revisiting some recipes I've tagged in various magazines, cookbooks, or websites that I have yet to make.

This really easy chicken recipe is one of them. It is full of really good for you spices, like tumeric and cumin and really doesn't take a lot of time to come together. Oh and once you read over the ingredients list you'll see there is NO SALT and you won't even miss it!

Chermoula Spiced Chicken
Adapted from http://blog.seasonwithspice.com/2011/11/charmoula-spice-roasted-chicken-recipe.html

What you need:

• 4 pieces of chicken leg (thigh & drumstick) or 6 pieces of chicken thighs
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon dried or fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tbsp ground coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• dash of cayenne or red chili flakes, optional
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp lemon zest, optional
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

What to do:

• Blend the chopped onion, garlic and fresh herbs using a food processor
• In a bowl, combine the blended mixture with all the spices.
• Then add the olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix well until you obtain a yellow paste.
• Make 2-3 light scores on each chicken piece. This will allow the chermoula marinade to get all up in the chicken! Rub them thoroughly with the chermoula paste. Marinate for one hour at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Place the marinated chicken on baking sheet and sprinkle with freshly ground pepper. Roast for 40-50 minutes.
• Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the chicken before serving, optional.
• Be sure to let the chicken rest for a few minutes to allow the juices to redistribute!