Immerse yourself in the world of spices and make your own 'top of the shop' blend of spices!  Delicious with roasted chicken as we've done here, but keep this blend nearby for everything from roasted vegetables, grilled shrimp or a nutty rice pilaf.   

This spice blend will make more than you need for our recipe below for 4 chicken thighs.  

Serve this with the fastest side dish around: couscous!  Add equal parts boiling water to couscous in a heat proof bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 5 minutes.  Fluff with a fork, and season with salt and butter before serving.   

4 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or leg quarters
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt, liberal amount for seasoning the chicken
2 tbsp. Ras El Hanout (see below)

Ras el Hanout:  “Head of the Shop” Moroccan Spice Blend for Tagine, Stews etc.

2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground coriander
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 ½ tsp ground black pepper
1 ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 
1 ½ tsp ground turmeric
1 ¼ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground cloves

• Blend all spices together and use as required

Chicken:

1. Season chicken well all over with lemon juice, salt and ras el hanout spice mixture—this can be done 24 hours in advance
2. Pre-heat oven to 425°F
3. Place chicken pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet or roasting dish.   
4. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, until skin is dark and crisp.   
5. Serve Chicken with couscous or rice and with any collected juices.   We like to serve with extra lemon, green olives, chopped fresh parsley and a fresh green salad.  

Smoked Paprika Grilled Chicken 
Serves 4

As much as we want to add so many herbs and spices to our grilled meats, as far as we're concerned, there's only one that needs to be in your pantry: Smoked Paprika, or pimentón.  There are several different types of Spanish paprika, made from different kinds of peppers.

• Pimentón Dulce or Sweet Paprika: Round red peppers make this mild, light orange paprika.
• Pimentón Agridulce or Medium Hot Paprika: Longer, dark red peppers make a medium-hot paprika.
• Pimentón Picante or Hot Paprika: Made from any of several different types of long red peppers.  This paprika really can pack quite a punch!  

Mix pimentón with a pinch of cumin and sea salt for a multi-purpose Spanish salt, delicious on hard-boiled eggs, sautėed shrimp, in rice dishes and, of course,  grilled chicken.   

Look to buy smoked Spanish paprika in little tins at specialty shops or home stores!  

The key to this type of chicken is paying attention.  Sure, there are many ‘set it and forget it’ meals that we love, but this one is for when you want nothing more than to become one with your grill or fire, baby that chicken to achieve the most glorious char-grilled crispy skin and take it off as soon as the pieces are done.  Cook this over an open fire, seated on a camping chair or on your back deck with a cold one!  

1 large whole chicken, flattened, or cut into bone-in, skin-on pieces
1 heaping tbsp. Kosher salt
2 tsp. Pimentón of your choice, or a blend
2 tbsp. Oil 

1. Prepare coals, grill or pellet-grill.  Ideally not too hot, about 375℉, keeping in mind you’ll be moving the chicken around to avoid any flare-ups. 
2. Place chicken in a bowl or on a sheet pan and thoroughly rub in the salt, pimentón and oil.  Feel free to do this several hours ahead of time, or even the day before.   
3. Get grilling!   Start skin-side up for the first 10-15 minutes, then turn onto skin to begin to crisp, moving the chicken away from flaring hot spots as you need to.   Once desired colour is achieved on skin side, turn back over onto the bones to continue to cook through.  
4. You’ll know your chicken is cooked through when the legs start to naturally break free.   Total time is about 1 hour.   
5. Rest & carve.   We like to cut the legs in 2, the breast in 3 pieces using a bit of force and a sharp knife.   
6. A simple garlic mayo would be delicious with this on the side!

Chicken Pot Pie Stew 
This recipe is ideally made in two stages, even one day apart: poach the chicken in the broth on day one, strain the broth and pull the meat off the bones.  Day two then the stew comes together quickly and easily.  Serves 4-6 generously, and can also be served with broad, buttered egg noodles.   Recipe can be doubled.  

Note: you may end up with extra broth.  That's never a bad thing! 

1 large (4lb) whole chicken 
Cold Water, to start 
2 onions (1 finely diced for soup, 1 cut into quarters for broth)
2 large carrots (1 diced for soup, 1 cut into 1 inch pieces for broth)
2 ribs celery (1 diced for soup, 1 cut into 1 inch pieces for broth)
2-3 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs thyme (use stems in broth and leaves in soup)
4-5 stems parsley (use stems in broth and leaves in soup)
4-6 medium yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and large dice 
1/2 cup butter 
1/2 cup flour 
Salt, as needed 

1. Season chicken with 1-2 tsp salt. Place in a pot & cover with  cold water. Bring to a JUST a boil, turn down to a simmer and skim any scum or impurities that rise to the surface. 

2. Add your roughly chopped onion, carrot and celery, thyme stems, parsley stems, bay leaves.

3. Continue to simmer on very low heat (DO NOT BOIL!) for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, until meat is falling off the bone. 

4. Carefully lift chicken out of broth (using 2 pairs of tongs or a fine mesh strainer works well) and place into a bowl to cool.  When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones in large pieces.  Discard bones.

5. Strain broth into a large container or two, discarding large pieces of vegetable and herb stems. 

6. Make Stew:  in a heavy, clean pot melt butter and add diced onion.  Season with salt, cook until soft but not brown.  Add carrot & celery and cook until softened
7. Shake flour over softened vegetables and stir to combine. Stir for 2-3 minutes.  

8. Whisk about 8 cups of the broth into vegetables, soup will be slightly thickened. Add potatoes and chopped thyme leaves and bring to a simmer and allow to simmer gently until potatoes are just fork tender. 

9. Stir in chopped parsley leaves and chicken meat, just to heat through.  
10. Do not simmer for too long at this point, or chicken will become stringy.  
11. Season to taste with salt & pepper. 
12. Enjoy!