Spatchcock chicken with preserved lemon, harrisa and olive

Thursday 7 February at 2:36pm

Clodagh McKenna is in the kitchen with a seasonal family supper and her secret to roasting a whole chicken in just 45 minutes!

Preserved lemon, harrisa and olive spatchcock chicken with bulgar wheat, cucumber and dill

Serves: 6

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, about 1.4kg

2 preserved lemons, chopped

6 cloves garlic, smashed

50g black olives, chopped

1 tbsp harissa

100ml olive oil

For the bulgar wheat salad

100g bulgar

100ml boiling water

1 cucumber, diced

4 spring onions, thinly sliced

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

100ml extra virgin olive oil

Juice of one lemon

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180oC/Gas Mark 4
To spatchcock the chicken, place it breast-side down, with the legs towards you. Using sturdy scissors cut along either side of the backbone to remove it, cutting through the rib bones as you go. Open the chicken out and turn over. Flatten the breastbone with the heel of your hand so that the meat is all one thickness. You can ask your butcher to do this for you if you prefer.
Add the preserved lemons, garlic, olives, harissa and olive oil in a bowl and mix well
Place the spatchcocked chicken in a roasting tray and rub the preserved lemon and harissa mix all over the chicken. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 45 minutes or until cooked through.
While the chicken is roasting, prepare the bulgar wheat salad. Place the bulgar in a heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water to cover. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to soak for 20 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff up with a fork, then stir in the cucumber, spring onions, and herbs. Whisk the oil, lemon juice and garlic together in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the dressing to the bulgar wheat salad and toss to coat.
Transfer the roast spatchcocked chicken to the centre of a large, warmed platter and spoon the bulgar wheat salad around the chicken to serve