A Little Spice Makes Everything Nice- Middle Eastern Chicken

There comes a point in the week that you are super busy running around with work, kids, ect. You had a long day and the last thing you wan to do is come home and put together a lavish meal. Keep things simple and exotically flavorful with this Middle Eastern inspired roasted chicken. The oven will do most of the work while you have a glass of wine.

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon ground sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 (4.5 – 5 lb) organic whole chicken (without giblets)

extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the center position.
Remove the chicken from its packaging (remove the giblets, if they came with the bird), and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, whisk together the spice blend until combined.
Using good-quality kitchen shears or poultry shears and holding the neck in one hand, cut along one side of the chicken spine, separating it from the ribs. Cut closely to the spine so that you do not remove any excess meat. Continue to cut about 3/4 along the spine on one side, repeat on the other side of the spine. Hold the spine for leverage and continue cutting on both sides to remove it completely. If you are having difficulty, rotate the bird so that the tail faces you and cut from the opposite side.
Place the chicken, skin side up, on a large cutting board. Drizzle the chicken with olive oil and rub on the skin. Sprinkle and rub the spice mixture all over the chicken. Season the chicken liberally on both sides with salt and pepper. *Note: It is best to remove the chicken from the fridge at least 3o to 45 minutes before roasting, this will help produce crispier skin.
Roast until the skin is crispy and golden brown, and the thickest part of the breasts and legs read 157 degrees F with an instant thermometer. The temperature will raise by 8 to 10 degrees as the chicken sits and rests. Allow the chicken to rest 5-10 minutes. Serve with a side of roasted veggies or perhaps a scoop of couscous.