Spatchedcocked chicken with mustard and honey glaze

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Serves 3-4

The term spatchedcocked means to remove the backbone from a chicken which allows it to be flattened and cooked more quickly.

Prepare the night before and fridge or at least one hour before cooking.

For the spatchcocked chicken

I used 125g (12oz) fresh chicken. Place the chicken breast side down on a chopping board and use a decent sharp pair of scissors to cut either side close to the chicken’s backbone including the ribs starting at the neck end. Once removed turn the chicken over and flatten the breast down using the heel of your hand until you hear a crack when the bird will then be nicely flattened. Put the chicken breast side up into a deep roasting tin and drizzle with extra virgin rapeseed oil.

If you are using the boiled garlic bulb from my previous recipe Rich aubergine sauce with wholemeal pasta continue as follows.

Squeeze each clove at it thickest part so the cooked garlic oozes out discarding the peel. Gather it into a heap then smear all over the chicken. As an alternative finely slice 3 fresh peeled garlic cloves. Make cuts into the chicken the amount as many as slices of garlic you have made and push a slice into each cut.

In a small bowl mix 2tsp Dijon mustard. 1 tsp runny blossom honey, half tsp chilli powder and 1tsp dried thyme then smear the mix all over the chicken evenly. Leave the chicken in the fridge overnight or at least one before cooking.

Prepare veg:

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Wash a small squash, cut in half, remove the seeds (set the seeds aside for now). Slice the squash into even sized large cubes.

Scrub 3 new potatoes and cut into wedge shapes. Arrange the veg around the chicken.

When ready to cook preheat the oven to 220C / 200 fan and bake for 25 minutes in the middle of the oven until cooked. For the last 15 minutes of cooking time, slip the squash seeds into the roasting tin. To test if the chicken is cooked enough, using a knife, pierce a leg at the thickest part and if the juices run clear it will be ready. Leave to rest for 10 minutes before using a sharp knife to segment the pieces.

For an easy giant couscous salad as a side:

Put 200g giant couscous into a saucepan with 2tbsp frozen broad beans, 2tbsp frozen garden peas and just cover with water. Bring to the boil, turn the hob heat off and leave for at least 10 minutes to allow the couscous to absorb the liquid.

Whilst the chicken is resting after cooking stir into the couscous 4 chopped green olives, 1 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil, a finely sliced preserved lemon and some black pepper. Heat a dry pan on med / high heat on the hob and add 1tbsp each pumpkin and sunflower seeds and move the pan around to toast for 10 seconds before adding to the couscous.

If you want a gravy to serve:

Hold the roasting tin so that the fat juices run into one corner. Spoon off and discard as much fat as you can leaving around 3tbs juices. Warm the juices on a hob on low heat, stirring in 3 tbsp plain flour a bit at a time until blended. Add 500ml chicken stock and 100ml white wine slowly and stirring until blended. Bring to the boil for 2 minutes stirring continuously until thickened.  Sieve and season with salt and pepper to serve with the chicken and veg.

For an alternate marinade another time blend the following before smearing on the chicken overnight or at least one hour before cooking:

150g whole preserved lemon, 4 garlic gloves, 1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves, 90g clear honey, 50ml olive oil, 3 deseeded and rough chopped green chillies and a pinch red chilli flakes.

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One of my favourite poems:

Heavenly Autumn wheel by Rosemary Ditchburn

Latest post in my ‘Spaniel quotes for life’ blog - If the only prayer you say in your entire life is 'thank you' , it will be enough