Name: Bavel's Turmeric Chicken With Toum
Yield: Makes 1 chicken; serves 2 to 4
Ingredients: 14 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt; 2 tablespoons orange blossom water; 1 1⁄3 cups canola oil; 1 tablespoon ground turmeric; 2 teaspoons ground dried orange peel; 1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds; 3⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground coriander; 1 garlic clove, grated with a Microplane; 1 (1-inch) piece fresh turmeric, peeled and grated with a Microplane; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice; 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon orange blossom water; 3⁄4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt; One (3 1⁄2-pound) whole chicken, neck, wing tips, and innards removed; 1 tablespoon plus 2 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt; 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; Special Equipment: Kitchen twine (8 inches long), instant-read thermometer (optional)

Photo of bavel turmeric chicken with toum on a plate with naan and parsley.

Photo by Nicole Franzen

When my daughter, Saffron, turned two, we invited a bunch of people to our house for a dinner party. I decided to make this yogurt-marinated chicken, and it was easily the juiciest chicken I’d ever had in my life. The yogurt marinade acts like a brine, tenderizing the meat and making it even juicier than a normal roasted chicken. While the meat cooks, the marinade forms a hard shell around the bird that prevents any juices from escaping, steaming the chicken from the inside out and keeping it super moist. The delicate floral spices of fennel seed, coriander, orange peel, and orange blossom taste incredible on the extra-crispy skin. Serve this alongside rice or with any simple mixed green salad.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes 1 chicken; serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

Toum

14 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons orange blossom water

1 1⁄3 cups canola oil

Marinade

1 tablespoon ground turmeric

2 teaspoons ground dried orange peel

1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds

3⁄4 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 garlic clove, grated with a Microplane

1 (1-inch) piece fresh turmeric, peeled and grated with a Microplane

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon orange blossom water

3⁄4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt

Chicken

One (3 1⁄2-pound) whole chicken, neck, wing tips, and innards removed

1 tablespoon plus 2 1⁄2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Special Equipment: Kitchen twine (8 inches long), instant-read thermometer (optional)

Preparation

Toum
Step 1
Combine the garlic, lemon juice, salt, and orange blossom water in a blender. Pulse on the lowest setting until just combined. Then in a slow and steady stream, add the oil while continuing to blend on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium-high until the mixture has fully emulsified. The consistency should be similar to mayonnaise with some soft peaks.
Step 2
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The consistency will thicken slightly after refrigeration.
Step 3
Note: The garlic is what binds the oil with the other liquids to make more of a solidified consistency. If you double this recipe, it will be even easier for your blender to emulsify the ingredients.
Marinade
Step 4
In a bowl, combine the ground turmeric, orange peel, fennel, cumin, coriander, garlic, and fresh turmeric. Then add the orange juice, orange blossom water, and yogurt and stir to combine.
Chicken
Step 5
Season the cavity of the chicken with salt and pepper. Rub some of the marinade inside the cavity of the chicken.
Step 6
Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. I like to keep the wings loose and not tied so the breasts and wings get crispy.
Step 7
Evenly season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on a sheet pan and let it sit, uncovered, at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then rub the marinade all over the outside. (It may seem like a lot but use it all.) Transfer the sheet pan, uncovered, to the refrigerator and marinate overnight.
Step 8
When ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 2 hours prior to cooking. (Cooking the chicken cold will take longer and might dry out the meat.)
Step 9
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the chicken breast-side up on the rack of a roasting pan. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes (if the skin is browning too quickly, decrease the heat to 375°F), until the meat between the leg and thigh feels tender to the touch or using an instant-read thermometer placed in the thigh, the temperature reaches 160° to 165°F. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes to let the juices redistribute. Cut off the kitchen twine, carve, and serve with a side of toum.

Photo of 'Bavel' by Ori Menashe & Genevieve Gergis with Lesley Suter.

Reprinted with permission from Bavel: Modern Recipes Inspired by the Middle East by Ori Menashe, Genevieve Gergis, and Lesley Suter, copyright © 2021. Published by Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Bookshop.