Harissa Spatchcock Chicken with spiced potatoes

Fri, 8 February 2019

The spatchcock idea actually came from Ireland in the eighteenth century, when we needed to whip up a simple, quick meal. Spatchcocking is a great way of getting a whole roast chicken cooked in a short space of time. The trick is to find your-self a good butcher who can spatchcock your chicken for you. They will do it in seconds.

 

Ingredients

 

·         1 medium-sized Manor Farm free range chicken (about 1½kg)

·         2-3tsp of harissa paste 

·         Zest of one lemon 

·         Chopped fresh parsley to finish 

·         sea salt

·         Olive oil 

 

For the potatoes 

·         5-6 washed roosters 

·         2 teaspoons sweet paprika

·         3–4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed

 

 

Serves 4

 

Method

 

·         To spatchcock the chicken, flip it over so the backbone is facing you. Using a sturdy pair of kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut down either side of the backbone, then discard the bone.Turn the chicken over and push down firmly on the breastbone to flatten out the bird. Make a few slashes in each leg joint to help. 

 

·         Smear the harissa paste all over the chicken zest over the lemon also. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, or overnight if possible. This can be frozen at this stage if you want to have it prepped well in advance.

 

·         For the potatoes,cut them into quarters with the skin on and Par boil them for 2-3mins. Allow them to steam and add to a tray with some olive oil. Sprinkle with the smoked paprika and thyme. Cook these at the same time as the chicken. 

 

·         To cook in the oven, preheat to190ºC/375ºF/gas mark 5 and season the chicken with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and cook for 40–45 minutes on a baking tray. To char the skin, grill for a further 5–10 minutes before serving Serve with lemon wedges, some of the chopped parsley.