TURKISH ROAST CHICKEN WITH GRILLED COS & BREAD SALAD

SERVES 4-6 / PREPARATION 20 MINUTES PLUS OVERNIGHT MARINATING / COOKING 1 HOUR 25 MINUTES

I visited Turkey for the first time in 1993 and have been back many times since. I love its vibrant culture and the food is some of the best I believe you can find. Even the humble kebab can be a revelation. From that first trip, I have fond memories of a chicken doner kebab, the meat perfectly cooked, juicy and flavoured with spices, wrapped in fluffy, charred bread and doused with chilli-yoghurt dressing. Here I have combined these flavours as a roast dinner. 1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

4 cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 tablespoon sumac

2 bay leaves juice and zest of 2 lemons

¼ cup olive oil

1 butterflied chicken (I used Bostock brand)

400g carrots, baby or if large, peeled, quartered lengthwise ½ cauliflower, cut in florets

Put the cumin, peppercorns and cloves in a frying pan and toast over a medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a mortar and pestle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and grind to a powder. Put in a large bowl with the thyme, sumac, bay leaves, lemon zest and juice and olive oil and mix well. Add the chicken and coat well, rubbing under the skin. Cover and marinate overnight.

One hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the marinade, place skin-side up in a large roasting dish and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Put the carrots and cauliflower into the bowl with the marinade and stir to coat. Heat the oven to 190℃.

Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, then add the carrots and cauliflower and roast for a further 45 minutes, tossing the veges once, until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken to a warmed serving dish and cover with foil. Sit in a warm place for 10 minutes to rest before slicing. Serve with the roast veges and the cos and bread salad.

GRILLED COS & BREAD SALAD

1 tablespoon Turkish chilli paste or harissa

½ cup plain yoghurt

1 clove garlic

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 250g cherry tomatoes, halved

3 baby cos

1 Turkish pide loaf In a bowl, combine the chilli paste (use a little less if your paste is very hot) and yoghurt and season with a little salt. Whisk in enough water to make a dressing and set aside.

Crush the garlic and salt to a paste. Put this in a bowl with the mustard, vinegar and oil and whisk well. Add the tomatoes and toss well. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a grill pan to hot. Cut each cos into quarters, put on a plate cut sides up and drizzle with olive oil. Grill the cos for about 3 minutes, turning to char all sides. Transfer to a serving platter when charred.

Slice the pide through the middle and rub the cut sides into any oil left on the plate, drizzling with more if necessary. Grill the bread for about 2 minutes each side until charred. Tear into bite-sized pieces and scatter over the cos. Just before serving, spoon over the tomatoes with any juices and drizzle with the dressing.