Ingredients

· 1x4lb. whole chicken

· 1tbsp olive oil

· 1/3 cup apricot preserves, for apricot glaze

For the rub:

· 2tsp ground cumin

· ½ tsp ground cinnamon

· 1½ tsp salt

Method
Whisk together cumin, cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over the chicken. Loosely cover and let it sit at least one hour, or preferably refrigerate overnight. In either case, allow chicken to sit at room temperature for at least one or two hour before cooking. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place the chicken in a roasting pan, breast-side up. Rub olive oil all over it then place in the middle rack of the oven and cook for 50 minutes at 180°C or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs reaches 80°C.

While the chicken is roasting, heat the apricot preserves in a small saucepan or in the microwave until warm and runny. Remove chicken from the oven and baste the exposed surfaces of it all over with the apricot preserves, using a basting brush. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C. Return the chicken to the oven and cook for an additional eight to 10 minutes, basting the chicken again with the glaze halfway through, until the glaze is bubbly and beginning to brown. Remove from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.