Lebanese Garlic Chicken and Potatoes ( D’jaj w’ Batata)

1. Leave the skin on the chicken. Rinse well, cleaning the insides thoroughly, if using the whole chicken. Pat dry with a kitchen paper towel.
2. Fill a bowl with enough water to submerge the chicken. Add the vinegar and salt.
3. Place the chicken inside the vinegar solution, filling up the cavity.
4. Rub all over and inside the chicken with your hands inside the vinegar solution.
5. Lift the chicken out of the bowl, emptying the cavity, then plunge back into the bowl of vinegar solution and rub again. Repeat this a few times. Leave chicken submerged in this solution for 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the garlic marinade cum sauce. Peel and wash your garlic cloves and pat dry.
7. Use a pestle and mortar to crush the garlic well. Transfer the crushed garlic to a DRY Blender. (The blender must be clean and dry).
8. Turn on the blender and slowly drizzle in the olive oil (or olive oil/ sunflower oil combination) through the center of the blender lid (Remove cap and place a funnel inside so that oil does not splatter).
9. Drizzle the oil (in a threadlike stream) very slowly, till the garlic is mixed in.
10. Stop the blender and scrape down the sides. Continue to drizzle in the oil. Add salt and 3 Tbsp lemon juice.
11. The mixture should start to turn milky yellow in color. Keep drizzling in the oil VERY VERY SLOWLY, till all the oil is used up.
12. The sound of the blender should change towards the end, as the mixture emulsifies into a whitish sauce.
13. Remove the chicken from the vinegar solution now and rinse once again under tap water.
14. Pat dry with paper towels. Prick all over the surface with a fork.
15. Place the chicken in a bowl for marinating. Rub with a good amount of salt ( about ½ tsp) and the spice powder.
16. Pour over HALF the amount of the garlic sauce in the blender. Add a Tbsp more lemon juice if you like it tangier. Also add the sumac, if using. Sprinkle some more salt and rub the sauce well into the chicken.
17. Cover the bowl and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours but preferably overnight.
18. Turn the chicken over in the marinade whenever you remember to at least a couple of times.
19. To the remaining sauce in the blender, add salt and lemon juice if needed and blend till thick, adding one egg white till thick and creamy if desired. Refrigerate in a closed jar to serve with the roasted chicken later.
20. Preheat the oven to 425 ºF /218ºc.
21. Peel and slice the potatoes into thick slices (½ inch
22. Lightly oil a roasting pan. ( Aluminium is good ).
23. Tie the legs together with a piece of twine. This step is optional and keeps the bird in form and bakes evenly.
24. Lay the sliced potato on the bottom of the roasting pan. Lay the chicken over the potatoes, breast side up.
25. Place remaining potatoes around the chicken. Pour over any remaining marinade from the bowl over the chicken.
26. Bake for 1 hour. Baste with the marinade on the bottom of the roasting pan.
27. Turn the oven setting to broil (top grill only) and continue to ‘broil’ for 15- 30 minutes till the skin is golden and crisp. (OVEN Temperature may vary).
28. You can turn over the chicken also if you like both sides to be crisp. You could also place a rack over the layer of potatoes and place the chicken over it so that the chicken gets crisper. This depends on personal taste. I leave mine in the marinade and on top of the potatoes. (You can also use your rotisserie to bake this with the potatoes below).
29. Check if the chicken is thoroughly cooked, by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the deepest part of the thigh. The thermometer should read at least 165°F/ 73.8° c.
30. Remove the chicken to a clean cutting board and allow to rest for 20 minutes before carving.
31. Serve over the potatoes with generous dollops of the garlic sauce. You might like to serve with rice. See recipe below for quick ‘Mandi Rice’:

Quick Mandi Rice to serve with Lebanese Garlic Chicken:

1. Cook till the stock is reduced and thickened. Around 15 -20 minutes.
2. Strain to get a clean stock.
3. Soak 3 cups Basmati for 10 minutes.
4. Rinse thoroughly and Drain well.
5. Heat some olive oil. Saute 1 finely chopped onion in this till softened.
6. Add the drained rice and toss gently.
7. Measure the strained stock, adding enough water to measure 6 cups.
8. Add to the rice along with 2 ½ tsp salt. Cook covered till water runs dry, stirring occasionally.