Maghreb Chicken with Preserved Lemons

Serves	4
Prep time	30 minutes
Cook time	1 hour, 15 minutes
Total time	1 hour, 45 minutes
Meal type	Lunch, Main Dish
Misc	Serve Hot
Occasion	Barbecue, Birthday Party, Casual Party, Formal Party
Region	Moroccan
By author	Karen Burns-Booth

A Middle Eastern inspired recipe for spicy, spatchcock roast chicken with preserved lemons, tomatoes, onions and chillies. Serve with couscous or chickpeas.

Ingredients

1 chicken, about 1.3 to 1.5kg
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large beefsteak or assorted heirloom tomatoes, quartered
2 large red onions, peeled and quartered
2 preserved lemons, quartered
2 small red chillies, trimmed and finely diced
1 teaspoon Ras-el-Hanout spice mixture
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh chopped coriander to garnish

Note

A Middle Eastern inspired recipe for spicy, spatchcock roast chicken with preserved lemons, tomatoes, onions and chillies. Serve with couscous or chickpeas.

Directions

Step 1	Spatchcock the chicken by laying the chicken on the breast side, with the back facing you. With a pair of poultry or kitchen scissors, cut down either side of the back bone and discard it. Turn the bird over and using the palm of your hand, press down on the breastbone to flatten the bird.
Step 2	Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F/Gas mark 6. Place the spatchcock chicken into a large baking tray or tin. Drizzle the olive oil over the bird. Rinse the preserved lemons under cold water to remove any excess salt. Pat the dry and set them to one side.
Step 3	Arrange the tomatoes, onions and preserved lemons around the chicken in a single layer.
Step 4	Scatter the chopped chillies over the chicken and then sprinkle the Ras-el-Hanout over the whole dish, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 5	Roast in pre-heated oven for 1 hours, basting the chicken every now and then. If the veggies become too brown, cover with tinfoil and remove for the last 5 to 10 minutes to crisp the chicken skin.
Step 6	Remove from the oven, scatter the chopped coriander over the dish and serve with mixed salads, couscous and/or chickpeas.