Roast Chicken with Dates, Walnuts + Sumac

Name: Roast Chicken with Dates, Walnuts + Sumac (Morgh-e Briyan ba Somaq-o Khorma)
Prep time: 1 h 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 25 min
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Yield: Serves: 4 to 6
Cuisine: Iranian
Ingredients: 5 teaspoons fine sea salt; 1 tablespoon sesame seeds; 4 tablespoons sumac powder; 1 large chicken or 2 Cornish hens (about 5 lb/2.3 kg); 1 tablespoon turmeric; ¼ cup/60 ml raw sesame or olive oil; 1 tablespoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper; ¼ cup/60 g date molasses or syrup; 6 cloves garlic, peeled; 1 small onion, peeled and quartered; ½ cup/120 ml fresh lime juice; 5 Medjool dates, any remaining hard stalk parts removed, pitted and stuffed with walnut halves

Morgh-e Briyan ba Somaq-o Khorma

Preparation info

Serves:
4 to 6

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
3 hr

Appears in

Cooking in Iran

By Najmieh Batmanglij

Published 2020

About

The date molasses glaze gives an interesting texture and an unexpected flavor to this roast.

Ingredients

dry rub

5 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1

Asia
Iran
Main course
Gluten-free

Method

For the dry rub: Place all the ingredients for the dry rub in a small bowl and mix well.
For the chicken: Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. Rinse the chicken, place it on the sheet pan, and pat it thoroughly dry. Rub it all over, inside and outside, with the lime juice, then with the dry rub mixture, pushing some of it under the skin. Cov