Tahini Roast Chicken

Cafe Drake HRV roasted tahini-marinated drumsticks with halved red radishes.

Tahini Roast Chicken with Yellow Pepper Bisque, Salad, Roasted Radishes and toasted dinner rolls.

The roast chicken is of course also perfectly delicious cold, as above, with a salad for lunch. Cold chicken is a standby of picnics and this one holds up well!

Begin by making the simplest of tahini dressings. Mix equal parts warm water and tahini and place in a  blender with garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Ground cumin and/or dill are nice add-ins. Blend until smooth and pour over skin-on, bone-in chicken pieces; you'll need just enough dressing to coat the poultry, about 1 cup per 2 lbs. of chicken. Sprinkle with your favorite hot sauce, seal in a bag and marinate for at least 6 hours in the fridge, preferably overnight. 

Re-using leftover produce bags from the market is a convenient method of "semi-recycling".

Remove chicken from marinade and place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Add chopped veggies of choice if desired. Roast at 400 degrees F. for 25-45 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces. Dark meat will take longer to cook than white. You'll know it's ready when the skin is crisp and browned and clear juices run from the chicken when pierced with a knife near the bone. Season with a finishing salt and more freshly ground black pepper before spritzing with fresh lemon juice. Fresh herbs make a healthy and tasty garnish as do rings of shaved red onion or scallions.