Because there are so many fried goodies on the table at Chanukka, a  roasted chicken makes the most sense and this one is really good with loads of latkes. Chicken is probably one of the most cost effective types of meat to buy nowadays, no matter where we live, despite this, is always festive and always well received by everyone at the table. Cumin, cardamom and lemon are magical with chicken and the Hungarian paprika provides both colour and additional flavour to turn this into a dish fit for an occasion like Chanukka - the fact that you only use electricity for 20 minutes is an added bonus.

Ingredients

• 1 x 2 kg organic chicken, cleaned properly and just at room temperature
• 4 lemons, zest and juice
• 2 teaspoons cardamom seeds
• 2 teaspoons crushed cumin
• 1 teaspoon crushed pepper
• zest of 2 lemons
• Malden sea salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
• 2 teaspoon medium Hungarian paprika
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 large celery sticks, washed with the top leaves trimmed off
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Method

• Preheat oven to 220 C
• Make slits in the legs of the chicken, lift the skin of the breast without tearing it so that you will be able to rub the spices in and truss the chicken.
• Make a paste from all the spices, the salt, the zest and the lemon juice.
• Rub the paste on the inside of the chicken, under the breast skin and on the outside of the skin – make sure you rub into the slits on the legs as well.
• Break the garlic and put all three cloves inside the cavity of the chicken, skin and all.
• Put some olive oil in the bottom of a roasting dish, put the celery in the dish and the chicken on top of the celery to prevent the bottom skin from burning.
• Put the chicken in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes and then turn the heat off.
• Leave it in the oven for 45 minutes and then take it out.
• Do not cover it with foil, but if it looks as if it is going to brown, cover with a piece of foil.
• It will be ready and juicy and you would have saved quite a bit of money.