Middle Eastern Roast Chicken and Bulgur

Whole chicken legs are generously spiced with a mixture of olive oil, tomato paste, ground coriander, cayenne peppe and cumin and marinated for overnight, then baked until plump, juicy and crispy. Served with a fluffy and flavourful bulgur prepared with peas, tomatoes and lots of spices. You can replace bulgur with couscous if desired and add some dried figs or apricots in it. Sprinkle some chopped pistachios over for extra crunch.

For the Chicken	For the Bulgur
4 Chicken legs 1 tbsp Olive oil 1 tbsp Tomato paste 1/2 tsp Ground coriander 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper 1/2 tsp Ground cumin Salt and pepper	200 g Coarse bulgur 60 ml Olive oil 4 Schallots, peeled and leaving them whole 2 Garlic cloves, crushed 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp Ground coriander 1 tsp Cayenne pepper 1 tsp Ground cumin 1 tsp Sumac 250 g Fresh tomatoes, chopped 300 ml Chicken stock Salt and pepper 250 g Frozen peas 2 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve

Place the chicken in a large zip-lock bag with the olive oil, tomato paste, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, ground cumin, salt and pepper. Seal the bag and rub all the marinade ingredients into the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Place the chicken in an oven-proof baking dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken. Roast for another 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Meanwhile make the bulgur. Pour the bulgur into a heatproof bowl and add boiling water to cover. Soak the bulgur for 5 minutes. Drain.
In a large frypan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Fry the eschalots for 3 minutes or until golden yellow. Add the garlic and fry for another 2 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, and ground cumin. Continue cooking the sauce until browned. This intensifies the flavour. Add the chopped tomatoes, the soaked bulgur and the chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Check the bulgur regularly and add some more water or stock if the cooking liquid evaporates too quickly.
After the bulgur has cooked, stir in the frozen peas. Warm the entire dish for a couple of minutes. Remove the pan off the burner, cover and let the whole dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve the bulgur warm in a dish with the roasted chicken. Garnish liberally with chopped parsley.

17 comments:

DEZMOND 13/11/24 13:10: A hearty meal for these uber cold days.
Lola Martínez 13/11/24 15:38: Los asados de pollo los preparo mucho en casa, prefiero acompañarlos de cuscús, arroz o verduras. En cualquier caso están buenísimos. Te ha quedado perfecto.
David 13/11/24 17:06: Angie, Great looking meal! I love the variety of seasonings and textures. FYI, it wasn't another visit to Paris but rather the second Paris we visited on the road trip...one in Tennessee and the other in Kentucky. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Christine 13/11/24 17:22: Yummy
Brian's Home Blog 13/11/24 18:57: That sure does look delicious, yum!
Grace 13/11/24 20:40: Irresistible!
Que delicia Angie!
Gracias!
Tom 13/11/24 22:33: ...this looks great!!!
Cooking Julia 13/11/24 23:33: A nice dish with my favorite meat!
roentare 14/11/24 00:26: The dish looks so gorgeous!
citu 14/11/24 00:54: Es una forma de comer pollo muy rica. Gracias por la receta. Te mando un beso.
Anonymous 14/11/24 04:47: These flavours are some of my favourites.
Tandy | Lavender and Lime https://tandysinclair.com
Margaret D 14/11/24 06:46: Looks delicious, Angie.
Eva Taylor 14/11/24 11:07: What a gorgeous fall recipe, I just love all of the spices you've used! And I bet the house smelled wonderful as it baked. Definitely going to give this one a try.
David M. Gascoigne, 14/11/24 12:34: I don’t know if I have ever eaten bulger. We don’t have it in the house, of that I am sure, but maybe I’ll buy some and try this recipe.
Bill 14/11/24 17:07: Looks incredible and yummy.
Pam 14/11/24 20:13: Great flavors! It looks so comforting and delicious.
Carol @Comfort Spring Station 14/11/24 20:33: I love roast chicken and was interested in the spices used for middle-eastern. I must admit I've never used coriander much. I'm curious to try it.