A golden spatchcocked roast chicken topped with pistachios and sour cherries

Roast chicken with pistachios and sour cherries

Name: Roast chicken with pistachios and sour cherries
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 red onion, cut into 1cm slices; 100g greek yogurt; 1 tsp orange blossom water or rosewater; 2 pinches saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp warm water; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground cardamom; 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 1 tsp salt; 1.5kg whole free-range chicken, spatchcocked; 60g shelled pistachios, whizzed to a coarse powder; 50g dried sour cherries, roughly chopped (or barberries); 1 tsp sumac; Small bunch mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped

Portion size: Serves 4
Hands-on time 15 min, plus at least 1 hour marinating. Oven time 35-45 min, plus 10 min resting
Difficulty: easy

Gluten-free

Recipe by: Claire Thomson

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Claire Thomson’s one-pan spatchcocked roast chicken recipe is packed with spices and aromatic ingredients from the Middle East, including fruity sumac, creamy pistachios and sour cherries.

“For this recipe, try to get sumac – the ground dried berries from the sumac tree,” says Claire. “This wonderful cherry- red ingredient has a sharp, acidic, fruity flavour. Use it in lieu of, or combined with, lemon or other citrus.”

In the mood for roast chicken? Try Julius Roberts’ creamy tarragon version.

Recipe taken from One Pan Chicken by Claire Thomson (Quadrille £20) and tested by delicious.

Before you start

Ask your butcher to spatchcock the chicken, if you like, or follow our step-by-step guide

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Ingredients

1 red onion, cut into 1cm slices
100g greek yogurt
1 tsp orange blossom water or rosewater
2 pinches saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp warm water
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tsp salt
1.5kg whole free-range chicken, spatchcocked
60g shelled pistachios, whizzed to a coarse powder
50g dried sour cherries, roughly chopped (or barberries)
1 tsp sumac
Small bunch mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped

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Method

In a food processor/mini blender, whizz a quarter of the onion with the yogurt, orange blossom water or rosewater, the saffron and its soaking liquid, the ground spices, garlic, 1 tsp salt and some black pepper.
Pour the whizzed sauce over the chicken, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, although the longer the better. Remove the chicken from the fridge about 20 minutes before you plan to cook it.
Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6. Put the remaining onion in a deep roasting tray and put the chicken on top, then add 1cm water. Roast the chicken for 35-45 minutes or until cooked through with good colour and beginning to char around the edges. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then serve scattered with the pistachios, cherries, sumac and mint.
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Nutrition

673kcals Calories
45g (12g saturated) Fat
52g Protein
14g (12g sugars) Carbs
2.6g Fibre
1.7g Salt

Quick wins & tips

Claire’s tip: “For this recipe, try to get sumac – the ground dried berries from the sumac tree. This wonderful cherry-red ingredient has a sharp, acidic, fruity flavour. Use it in lieu of, or combined with, lemon or other citrus.”