This recipe comes from my friends at Markethouse restaurant in Chicago. Markethouse offers a menu of dishes made with in-season ingredients sourced from local farms. Mop sauce is a term used by barbeque chefs to describe a sauce that is applied with a brush that looks like a miniature mop.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds fryer chicken
  • 1 cup clover honey
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice, from half a lemon (save the other half)
  • 1 tablespoon aleppo pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • kosher salt
  • pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. To make the mop combine the honey, spices, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
  2. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with half the lemon, all the garlic, and the fresh thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Truss the chicken with butcher twine to ensure even cooking. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes.
  3. Once the chicken starts to brown, after about 30 minutes, begin basting with the honey-cayenne mop. The mop will start to caramelize and become sticky; take care not to burn it.
  4. Once the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degree F and the juices run clear remove it from the oven and let it rest.
  5. Drain the roasting juices into a sauce pan. Add 2 tablespoons each of parsley, lemon juice, and extra virgin olive oil. Bring to a boil.
  6. Serve the chicken in two portions and drizzle with the sauce.