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.