Green Chermoula Chicken with Yogurt and Radishes

Serves 6 to 8 

My Moroccan friend Mehdi first introduced me to chermoula as a marinade for seafood, but I love it on chicken too. It wraps the meat with the soft distinct flavor of cooked cilantro and the gentle warmth of sweet paprika. This is a great picnicky recipe to double up for a summertime crowd, since chicken thighs (or hindquarters) are very forgiving for the busy home cook. I like to use my wood-burning pizza oven outdoors, but an indoor oven works just fine.

INGREDIENTS 

• 2 bunches cilantro leaves (about 2 cups/120 g)

• 1 bunch parsley leaves (about 1½ cups/90 g)

  Sunlight and Breadcrumbs: Making Food with Creativity and Curiosity Renee Erickson

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled

• 1½ teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground

• Juice of 1 large lemon (about ¼ cup/60 ml)

• 1½ cups (360 ml) olive oil, plus more to drizzle

• 4 chicken hindquarters or 8 thighs (about 2 pounds/910 g)

• ½ cup (120 ml) plain whole milk (not Greek) yogurt, to finish

• Baby radishes or shaved radishes, to garnish

DIRECTIONS 

Preheat the oven (indoor or outdoor!) to 450°F (230ºC).

Finely chop the cilantro, parsley, and garlic and put them in a bowl. Add the salt, paprika, cayenne, cumin, and coriander. Add the lemon juice and give it a stir, then add the olive oil. 

Using half of the chermoula, rub each piece of chicken with it (on both sides) and set aside. When ready to cook, place skin-side up on a sheet pan, put it in the oven, and roast 25 to 30 minutes, with the hindquarters taking a bit longer. You can use an instant-read thermometer to double-check their doneness (165ºF/74ºC) before pulling from the oven. Pile the chicken on a serving platter and drizzle with yogurt and olive oil and garnish with radishes. 

The remaining chermoula can be stored in the fridge for a day or two and tossed with warm cooked potatoes or spooned into a bowl of steamed mussels or clams.

Reprinted with permission from Sunlight & Breadcrumbs by Renee Erickson. Published by ABRAMS.

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