Joojeh kabob roast chicken

“Growing up, my family didn’t eat out very often. But when we did, it was almost always at a Persian chelo kababi, where we’d each order a humongous platter of buttery saffron rice topped with two skewers of grilled meat and a grilled tomato. We each had our favourites, and mine was invariably joojeh kabob—tender, tangy pieces of saffron-and-yogurt– marinated chicken. Joojeh kabob was so deeply ingrained into my food memories that years later it was a primary source of inspiration when I developed my recipe for Buttermilk-Brined Roast Chicken. 

And because it’s just about the best roast chicken I’ve ever tasted, I used that recipe as the starting point for this one. The chicken still brines overnight in a flavourful, well-seasoned marinade of yogurt or buttermilk, but this time, saffron, onions, lime, garlic, and a little tomato purée are layered in to deliver the precise combination of acidity, sweetness, and umami that makes joojeh kabob so irresistible.” – Samin Nosrat

Serves 4 

Requires overnight marinating 1 whole chicken 

(1.6 to 1.8kg) salt 

½ tsp saffron threads, ground and bloomed (p37) 

1 tbsp tomato purée 

4 tbsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice 

365g natural yogurt or buttermilk 

1 brown onion, thinly sliced 

2 garlic cloves, finely grated 

½ tsp coarsely ground black pepper 

Basic Crispy Rice (p155), for serving 

Garlic and Herb Labne (p48), for serving 

Shirazi Salad (p247), for serving

The day before you plan to cook, spatchcock the chicken (p282) and generously season it with salt on both sides. Let the chicken sit at room temperature while you prepare the marinade. 

In an extra-large zip-lock plastic bag, whisk together the bloomed saffron, tomato purée, and lime juice until evenly combined. Add 2 tablespoons (18g) kosher salt and the yogurt, onion, garlic, and pepper. Add the chicken, seal the bag, and squish the yogurt all over the chicken. Place it on a rimmed plate and refrigerate. If you’re so inclined, over the next 24 hours you can turn the bag so every part of the chicken gets marinated, but it’s not essential. 

An hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the yogurt and scrape off any aromatics. Bring the chicken to room temperature. 

Adjust an oven rack to the centre position and preheat to 220°C.

Arrange the chicken, breast-side up, on a wire rack set over a baking tray (line the tray with parchment to make cleanup easier). Cook until the chicken is a dark golden brown and the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh, about 45 minutes. (Loosely cover the chicken with a piece of foil for the last 10 minutes if the skin is getting too dark.) 

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving with crispy rice, garlic and herb labne, and Shirazi salad. 

Variation: To barbecue Joojeh Kabobs, marinate 900g to 1.4kg of seasoned boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 4cm pieces overnight. Remove from the marinade and thread onto metal or bamboo skewers. Grill over medium-high heat until cooked through and gloriously charred and golden on the surface, about 5 minutes per side.

Extracted from Good Things by Samin Nosrat (Ebury Press, $70). 📷 by Aya Brackett.