Butterflied roast chicken with tarator sauce and herb and pistachio salad

{ SERVES 4 }

1 chicken

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of 2 lemons

1 teaspoon dried oregano

6 garlic cloves, peeled

a few thyme sprigs

seeds of 1 pomegranate (optional)

Tarator sauce

200 g (7 oz/¾ cup) full-fat plain yoghurt

135 g (4¾ oz/½ cup) tahini

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) lemon juice

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sumac or extra lemon zest

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) filtered water

Herb and pistachio salad

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

large handful coriander (cilantro) leaves

large handful mint leaves

35 g (1¼ oz/1 tightly packed cup) rocket (arugula)

1 red onion

90 g (3¼ oz/²/₃ cup) pistachio nut kernels

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Lay the chicken on a clean work surface, cut along the backbone using kitchen shears, then butterfly the bird by opening out the legs and spreading the body flat, skin side up. Flatten more by pressing on the breastbone with your hands. You can ask your butcher to do the butterflying for you. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel and move to a roasting tin.

Season the bird generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the olive oil and lemon juice, scatter over the oregano and tuck the garlic and thyme into the folds. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.

Meanwhile, make the tarator sauce. In a mini-blender, whiz the yoghurt, tahini, lemon zest and juice, cumin, sumac, garlic and parsley, then add enough of the water to make a creamy sauce.

Prepare the salad by whisking the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Chop the coriander and mint, tear the rocket, and finely chop the onion. Add the herbs, rocket and onion to the dressing with the pistachio nuts. Toss well.

To serve, lay the chicken on a platter and drizzle over the tarator sauce or serve on the side. Add the salad around the chicken and scatter over the pomegranate seeds, if using.