Ethiopian Chicken with Preserved Lemon Relish and Bitters
Ethiopian Chicken with Preserved Lemon Relish and Bitters
The Meadow
8
You shoot a bird. You light a fire. You muster some African spices. You grab some salty-bittertart preserved lemons. Simple things unite, and your encampment is redolent with roasted spice and meat. Douse a bite with cardamom bitters. Now you stare up. The black night sky, buckshot with diamonds.
Ingredients
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- 1½ tablespoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (4-pound) chicken, spatchcocked (see page 110 of Bitterman's Field Guide to Bitters and Amari)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon cardamom bitters
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
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1 preserved lemon, finely chopped (page 110 of Bitterman's Field Guide to Bitters and Amari)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and/or cilantro
- ½ garlic clove, minced ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 dashes cardamom bitters
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
- For the chicken, mix all of the spices into a rub; set aside.
- Preheat a grill for direct medium heat, 350 to 400°F.
- Rub the chicken all over with half the oil and all of the rub, concentrating on the skinless side.
- Brush and oil the grill grate and place the chicken skin side down on the grate.
- Grill for about 15 minutes and then turn with a spatula or tongs. Grill for another 15 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh registers 170°F.
- While the chicken is grilling, mix the remaining 1½ tablespoons oil, the bitters, and lemon juice together; set aside.
- Prepare the preserved lemon relish by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl.
- Cut the chicken into serving pieces and drizzle with the olive oil–bitters mixture.
- Serve with the lemon relish.