It has all the elements of a great recipe – seven ingredients, three easy steps, one pot oven cooking and delicious leftovers.

No trip is complete without a stop at the local market — farmers or ‘super’ —  and I always come home with spices. Small, easy to pack and the type of gift that keeps on giving when you enjoy the flavors from your vacation for dinner.

In Dubai we visited the Spice Souk; rather disappointing honestly, but a conveniently located on the Dubai Creek next to the Gold souk.  I found two treasures that resulted in my favorite vacation-reminder-dinner to date Dubai Dried Lemon and Sumac Roast Chicken.

You can marinate the chicken overnight, just a few hours, or not at all.  This is a great dinner party option because you can prep in advance, toss in the oven, cook, rest and enjoy.  Your guests will appreciate the flavors of your trip more than the slide show.

Full Disclosure; I make this same recipe with all my souvenir spices: Spanish Smoked Paprika, parsley & fresh lemon roasted chicken, Chinese Five Spice & OX Sauce roasted chicken, Herbs De Provance & Lemon roasted chicken… you get the idea.  Do you have vacation recipe? I’d love to try it, comment bellow.

Recipe: Dubai Dried Lemon & Sumac Roasted Chicken

• 1 Dried Lemon
• 3 Table Spoons Sumac
• 1 Teaspoon dried Red Chill Flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt and 1/2 teaspoon Pepar
• 4 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 whole Chicken
• 2-3 Table Spoons of Oil (2 for the sauce and one for the pan)Preheat Oven to 375

Put all the spices and garlic in a mortar and pestle or food processor and mix adding in oil as you go until you achieve a pesto like texture (it may take more oil)

Rub spice pesto all over chicken — if you can, rub mix between skin and meat for deeper flavor and crispier skin.

Truss Chicken 

Put chicken in hot cast iron skillet or baking dish.

*Make it a meal — Add any vegetables you want to cook to the baking dish around the chicken; I like Carrots, Whole Garlic Cloves and Parsnips or Potatoes.

Bake until internal temperature is 155 (anywhere from 50 minutes to 1 hour 15 depending on the size of your bird)

Rest for 5 to 10 minutes, carve and enjoy.

Dubai Drive Lemon & Sumac Chicken

Play with your food!

Add more garlic, more chili or fresh lemon juice to suit your taste.  I like to roast about 30 cloves of garlic with my chicken because I love garlic cooked in Chicken dripping, that’s just me. You can grill or rotisserie your chicken or bake/broil individual pieces, this spice can hold up to any heat.

Thankfully my mother-in-law lives in Dubai to restock my Dried Lemon supply until I can find a vendor in San Francisco.

Sumac is available at most any ethnic or high-end grocery store.