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“30%”,“50%”, “80%, 90%, OFF

You spend what feels like an eternity resisting a sexy pair of shoes, a lonely black dress dying to take you out for dinner. You spend months trying to be faithful to your pocket. Then you let it all go during the sale season. Buying at half price four times what you have events to possibly wear for.

This is the UAE. Paris, London, Milan and New York wrapped into one big gift shop. You can imagine how hard it is not to be tempted in the ultimate shopping sin city where many times I have fallen victim.

My ultimate sin though is food. Of all the consumer goods out there, it is the only good that can actually be consumed.

… I heard once that the more things are ephemeral the more they are spiritual. And what is more ephemeral than food? A labor of love, so good you can eat it. And how satisfying is that to actually make it part of you…

That’s how I feel about everything in life. Sometimes I wish I can eat a nicely designed vase or a flower or a jacket… how would a sunset taste like …

Prepare yourself an ephemeral dish and consume a moment of spirituality.

My roasted chicken was so sexy I had it for diner.

It was so moist; so good you have to try it.

Ingredients

1 fresh Chicken

2 oranges

1 garlic head

1 small bunch of fresh thyme, rosemary, bay or sage,

or whatever mixture you like

1 tbsp of softened butter.

For the marinade:

1 tbsp of mustard a l’ancienne,

1 tsp of brown sugar, 1 tbsp of honey,

1 tbsp of Worchester sauce,

1 tbsp of olive oil.

For basting:

Tequila

The juice of an orange

Preheat your oven to 240°C/475°F/gas 9, Get a very fresh chicken. Wash it with water and cider vinegar.

Using a knife remove any excess fat. Oranges are my secret ingredient. Get the zest of one orange and rub the chicken with it. Repeat the same thing with half of that orange. Insert 3 slices of orange and 2 slices of lemon inside the chicken’s cavity. Crush 2 cloves of garlic; slide them under the skin with the fresh herbs (small bunch of fresh thyme, rosemary, bay or sage, or whatever mixture you like) with 1 tbsp of softened butter.

Mix together:

1 tbsp of mustard a l’ancienne, 1 tsp of brown sugar, 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of Worchester sauce, 1 tbsp of olive oil. Using your hands rub the chicken with the mix making sure to cover all it’s parts properly.

Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place your chicken in a roasting tray over your vegetable (2 quartered potatoes, 2 onions, and 1 garlic head cut in half, drizzled with olive oil. Season to taste) put it into the preheated oven. Turn the heat down immediately to 200°C/400°F/gas 6 and cook the chicken for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Halfway through cooking baste your chicken with a splash of tequila and the juice of an orange. Take the tray out of the oven cover it with tinfoil and a tea towel, let it rest for 15 minutes before you serve.

Serve it with your roasted vegetables and enjoy. Sahtenn!