Seven Spice Chicken is an aromatic, warming Lebanese chicken dinner. Made with Deboned Chicken Quarters and seared for Crispy Skin and a Quick Dinner, or Whole Chicken Quarters baked in the oven. Optionally marinated for added flavor and zest.
Servings: 4 portions
Equipment
- 1 Large Skillet
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Small Bowl for the Seven Spice
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Quarters - Deboned
- To Season Sea Salt - About 1/2 tsp per quarter
Seven Spice ~ ground spices
- 1 tsp Coriander
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Clove
- 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
Instructions
- Combine the Seven Spice ingredients together in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside for now.
- Debone the Chicken Quarters, or chop to separate the thigh from the leg and debone. Clean and trim them, ensuring there are no small pieces of bone and that they are pretty uniform in thickness.Season with Salt & Seven Spice on both sides. If time permits, refrigerate to allow the spices to permeate the meat more, before searing.
- Heat a large skillet up over medium heat until hot. Add enough fat to coat the bottom of the pan and wait for it to get hot. Place the Deboned Chicken Quarters, Thighs, or Legs skin side down to sear for 5 minutes. Flip over and sear another 5 minutes.At about 5-6 minutes per side is good, or a minute or so more if they are thicker, or until the juices run clear. You should see clear juices when the chicken is resting and no hint of pink when sliced or diced. If so, return to the skillet for a minute or so per side.
- Transfer the Chicken to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into thin bite size strips or dicing and serving.
Notes
You can just opt to season the Chicken with Seven Spice and some Sea Salt to lift the flavors and blend or marinate for an extra depth of flavor and zest. Use the Lebanese Lemon Chicken Marinade or combine 1/4 C Oil & Lemon Juice with the desired amount of Seven Spice and about 1/2 tsp of sea salt per quarter chicken to marinate.
You can also just season the bone in Chicken Quarters with Salt & Seven Spice. Place unto a baking sheet or roasting pan, presentation side down. Transfer to a preheated oven at 375 F, middle rack position, and bake for 45 minutes. Flip the Chicken presentation side up halfway through cooking. After 45 minutes, shut the oven heat off, but leave the Chicken in the oven for 15–20 minutes before serving.
Any trimmings from the chicken can be placed into the pan over medium to medium low heat to render the fat out. Once the crackling is golden crisp, remove and add more oil to the pan to ensure there is enough to cover the bottom of the skillet. Wait for it to get hot before searing.