Roasted Chicken with Georgian Spice Rub

Darra Goldstein, in her book The Georgian Feast: The Vibrant Culture and Savory Food of the Republic of Georgia, tells how suckling pig is rubbed with a blend of soaked black and red pepper pounded with garlic, coriander and summer savory. When she mentioned it was also excellent on roast chicken, we gave it a try.

It's perfect cold for picnics. When we added fresh coriander to the mix, we liked it even better. Georgian cooking does embrace fresh coriander. Yet, if I've inadvertently offended anyone by introducing it into this dish, know it was the only wayward step taken.

Drink a red Rioja with the chicken and serve it with saffron rice salad, a green salad and have strawberries in raspberry sauce with crème fraîche for dessert.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons very hot water, or half water, half vinegar

• 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

• 1/2 teaspoon to 1/2 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes

• 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds

• 2 teaspoons dry summer savory

• 1 1/4 cup tightly packed with fresh coriander leaves

• 10 large cloves garlic, peeled

• 2 tablespoons walnut oil (though not traditional, an aromatic olive oil can stand in if necessary)

• salt

• One 3- to 4-pound chicken, washed and dried

Instructions

1. The day before roasting the chicken, combine the hot water with the peppercorns and red pepper. Let stand 30 minutes, or until softened. Drain, then pound along with the coriander seeds and savory in a mortar with a pestle, or in a small bowl with the handle of a large knife, until the mix is a paste. (You could puree the spices in a coffee grinder, then mash with other ingredients.)

2. Blend the fresh coriander, garlic and oil into the paste. Rub over the chicken (inside and out), set on a plate, cover and refrigerate overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub a little butter in bottom of a shallow baking pan to keep chicken from sticking. Season the chicken inside and out with salt, set breast-side-up in the pan and roast. Figure 10 minutes to the pound, plus 15 extra minutes. Once done, give a 10-minute rest outside the oven. Of course, you could slowly roast the chicken over wood charcoal as well.

4. Serve hot, or chill immediately and serve cold.