Roast Half Chicken With Cashew Tarator and Celery
A sophisticated dish featuring a perfectly roasted half chicken served with a creamy cashew tarator sauce and a fresh celery salad topped with spicy candied walnuts. The dish combines Middle Eastern flavors with classic roasting techniques.
Ingredients
- •2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •½ teaspoon kosher salt
- •¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- •1 large egg white
- •½ cup light brown sugar
- •2 cups walnut halves
- •2 cups cashews
- •1 slice white bread
- •1 clove garlic
- •¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- •½ teaspoon ground coriander
- •½ cup olive oil
- •to taste Kosher salt
- •2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- •1 tablespoon olive oil
- •½ whole chicken
- •to taste Kosher salt
- •1 stalk celery
- •1 tablespoon mixed seeds
- •2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 300°F. Melt butter in a small skillet over medium, remove from heat, and mix in salt and cayenne. Whisk egg white in a medium bowl until soft peaks form; stir in brown sugar. Add seasoned butter and walnuts and fold to coat nuts.
10 min
- 2.
Spread nuts out on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet; bake, tossing every 10 minutes or so, until mixture is dry and nuts are toasted, 25-30 minutes. Let cool.
30 min
- 3.
Increase oven temperature to 350°F. Toast cashews on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Let cool.
10 min
- 4.
Pulse cashews, bread, garlic, lemon juice, coriander, and 3/4 cup water in a food processor to combine. With motor running, stream in oil; process just to incorporate. Pulse, adding a splash or so of water if too thick, until a coarse purée forms; season with salt.
10 min
- 5.
Increase oven temperature to 475°F. Heat butter and 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Once butter is foaming, place chicken in pan, skin side up. Tilt pan and spoon butter mixture over chicken until the entire surface is coated. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and transfer to oven. Roast chicken, rotating pan halfway through, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165°F, 25-30 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
35 min
- 6.
Meanwhile, toss celery, celery leaves, mixed seeds, lemon juice, and 1/2 cup spicy walnuts in a medium bowl. Drizzle with oil, season with salt, and toss again.
5 min
- 7.
Spoon tarator onto a platter and top with celery salad and chicken.
5 min
- 8.
Spicy Walnuts can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature. Cashew Tarator can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.
