Ingredients
- 1 large free-range chicken (about 1.5kg/3lb 5oz in size)
- 3 lemons, cut into eights
- handful black, pitted olives
- 3 small shallots, peeled and left whole
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed
- 2 tbsp sumac (see Know-how, below)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the spiced yoghurt
- 1 tsp each ground coriander and cumin
- ½ tsp each ground turmeric and mustard seeds
- ½ tsp chilli powder, mild or hot, depending on taste
- 500g pot natural yogurt
- 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
- bunch spring onions, sliced
Method
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Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Two things happen to the chicken. First, season the inside. In a bowl mix the lemons, olives, shallots and garlic with half the sumac and some salt. Scrunch them all together and add 1 tbsp of water. Open the bird up and pour the mix into the cavity.
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Then the outside. Take the oil and the rest of the sumac and rub onto the chicken, massaging it into every part possible. Roast for 11⁄2 hrs or until cooked through and the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the leg.
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While the chicken is cooking, mix all the ingredients for the spiced yogurt with some salt – if you like it a little milder, deseed the chilli before slicing it. Carve the chicken and serve topped with a dollop of the yogurt.