Grilled free-range chicken with yogurt, lemon and North-African spices
Over the past couple of years I’ve really got into the flavours of North Africa and the Levant – something to do with being challenged by the different, unusual and exciting spices, I suspect. They are also delicious, and I love spending time travelling in and experiencing this part of the world.
Spatchcocking a chicken is by far the best way to go when cooking it on a barbecue – it’s quicker and the chicken cooks much more evenly. Your butcher should be able to this for you. Start this recipe a day ahead.
You’ll also need a lump of hardwood, a water tray and a temperature probe
1 large (2kg [4½lb]) free-range chicken, spatchcocked
1 quantity Brine for white meat
1½ Tbsp fennel seeds
1 Tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp sumac
1½ Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp dried chilli flakes
100g (½ cup) Greek yogurt
3 unwaxed lemons
75ml (scant 1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and black pepper
extra yogurt, seasoned with salt, pepper and sumac, to serve
Pour the brine into a non-reactive container big enough to hold the chicken. Immerse the chicken in the brine and pour in enough cold water to cover. Leave in the fridge for 7 hours, or overnight.
Remove the chicken from the brine, pat dry with paper towels and place in a bowl or on a tray. Using a pestle and mortar, roughly crush all the spices (if you don’t have a pestle and mortar, improvise with a small bowl and the end of a rolling pin), then mix with the yogurt. Squeeze the juice of one of the lemons over the chicken, then smother it with the yogurt-spice mix and the olive oil. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Set and light a barbecue for direct/indirect cooking. Place the lump of wood onto the ashen charcoal to start smoking.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and place it, skin-side down, on the grill in the direct heat zone. Cook for 5 minutes to char the skin, then turn it over a cook for a further 5 minutes before moving it to the indirect heat zone. Position the water tray in the direct heat zone and close the lid of the barbecue. Cook the chicken for about 1 hour (the temperature inside the barbecue should be about 170–175°C/340–350°F; regulate with the vents, if needed). To be on the safe side, use the temperature probe to check the internal temperature of the chicken, which should be around 75°C (167°F). Remove the chicken from the grill and leave to rest in a warm spot for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut the remaining lemons in half and place them, cut-side down, in the direct heat zone. Cook for 20 minutes until soft and caramelized.
Pour the resting juices from the chicken into the extra seasoned yogurt and stir through. Serve the chicken with the yogurt and the caramelized lemon halves for squeezing over.