Split and flattened chicken is known as spatchcocked. Buy it ready prepared or do-it-yourself. It’s a great way of saving cooking time and is ideal on the barbie or in the oven.
SERVES 4 – PREP 15 MINS – COOK 1 HOUR
1.4kg free-range chicken
Juice of 1 lemon
1tbsp harissa paste
2tbsp olive oil
250g natural yogurt
2tbsp tahini paste
3tbsp coriander, chopped
1 Preheat a covered barbecue (coals should turn white) or preheat oven to 200C, Gas 6. Put the chicken on a board breast down. Cut along both sides of the chicken backbone with kitchen scissors and remove. Turn over and press down on the chicken breast to flatten. Push a couple of skewers through the wings and drumsticks to make turning easier.
2 Season the chicken generously and squeeze over the lemon juice. Spread over the harissa paste and drizzle with olive oil.
3 Barbecue for 1 hour, turning every 10 mins. Or roast for 1 hour until golden brown and the juices run clear.
4 To serve; mix together the yogurt and tahini paste. Serve alongside the chicken, garnished with coriander.
Per serving: 394cals, 15g fat, 3g sat fat), 5g carbs
Shortcut: Use 4 chicken quarters instead, cooking for 30mins.
Try another barbecue recipe, sweet mustard barbecued chicken.
How about another chicken recipe? Vitality couscous chicken.
Looking for a dessert to serve with this? Try Strawberry sundaes.