LEMON CHICKEN WITH HONEY AND SAFFRON

1 chicken (about 4 pounds)
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 teaspoons light honey, such as orange flower
1 large pinch of saffron, pulverized in a mortar and steeped in 1 tablespoon very hot water
1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lightly toasted sesame seeds

Quarter chicken, removing backbone. Rinse, pat dry and trim off excess fat. Place chicken in an earthenware cazuela that will hold it in one layer, or in an enamel or glass baking dish. Rub chicken all over with salt, cumin, ginger and coriander. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Place lemon juice, 5 teaspoons honey and saffron in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Pour mixture over chicken. Prick chicken all over with tines of a fork, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours, turning several times. Let chicken come to room temperature before cooking.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Transfer chicken to a bowl, then scatter onion in cazuela. Place chicken on top of onion and brush it with remaining 1 teaspoon honey and olive oil.

Bake chicken at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking chicken until it is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes longer. (To avoid overcooking the breast halves, remove them after 30 minutes.) Stir in sesame seeds, return breast halves to cazuela and bake for 5 minutes longer.

Serve chicken straight from the cazuela.

Source: The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen