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Spatchcock chicken with chermoula
Serves 4-6 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 2kg free-range chicken
For the chermoula
- 4 preserved lemons or coarsely grated
- zest of 2 unwaxed lemons
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- juice of 2 lemons
- 1tbsp sweet paprika
- 1tsp chilli flakes
- 1tsp fine sea salt, plus extra for seasoning
- 2tbsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 100g fresh coriander
metal or wooden skewers, for cooking (if you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in warm water for at least an hour)
Method
Lay the chicken breast-side down on a chopping board with the neck end facing away from you. Take a pair of poultry shears or kitchen scissors and cut one side of the parson’s nose all the way down the backbone. Make the same cut on the other side, then discard the strip of bone you’ve removed. Turn the chicken over on the board, lay your hand flat across the breasts and push down firmly to flatten out. Transfer to a large dish or roasting tray and set aside.
Halve the ingredients for the chermoula; you need half for the marinade and half for the sauce. For the marinade, quarter the lemons and scrape away the flesh and seeds, then roughly chop into a food processor. Add the remaining marinade ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour this over the chicken, ensuring it is fully covered, working some of the marinade under the skin of the breasts. Cover with cling film and transfer to the fridge for a couple of hours, or overnight if possible. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking and preheat the barbecue for direct grilling.
Lay the chicken breast-side up on a board and insert a skewer diagonally through the chicken; the aim is to thread it through the leg, thigh and breast and then out the other side. Repeat with a second skewer through the other side of the chicken to form an ‘X’. This will keep the bird flat, helping it to cook evenly. Lay the chicken on the grill breast-side up and cook for 40-50 minutes, turning every 10 minutes. To check the chicken is cooked, insert a sharp knife into the thickest part of the thigh: if the flesh isn’t pink and the juices run clear, it’s cooked. Transfer to a board and rest for 15 minutes while you make the chermoula sauce.
Prepare the preserved lemons as for the marinade but finely chop the skin into a bowl with the remaining garlic, oil, lemon juice, paprika, chilli flakes and salt. Grind the remaining cumin seeds to a coarse powder with a pestle and mortar and add to the mixture. Finely chop the remaining coriander, stir in and season well.
Remove the skewers from the chicken, carve into chunks and arrange on a serving platter. Pour over juices and serve with the chermoula sauce.
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