Marinated magic
SERVES 4 TIME 1hr 15min + 12-24 hr LEVEL Easy
Cook your spatchcock chicken in the kitchen or on the braai. Marinating the chicken overnight in the yoghurt makes it super-tender.
WHAT YOU NEED 300g full cream plain yoghurt 125ml (½ cup) coconut milk 2 tomatoes, chopped 15ml (1 tbsp) smoked Spanish paprika 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced Handful fresh coriander Large handful thyme leaves + extra, to garnish (optional) 15ml (1 tbsp) ground coriander 15ml (1 tbsp) ground cumin Juice of 1 lemon 5ml (1 tsp) chilli flakes Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1 whole free-range chicken
HOW TO DO IT
1. For the marinade, combine all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a blender and blitz until almost smooth. Pour the yoghurt and spices marinade mixture into a deep roasting dish.
2. To spatchcock your chicken, place the chicken on a chopping board, breast-side down with the legs towards you. Using sturdy scissors, cut open the chicken along each side of the parson’s nose and backbone to remove the spine, cu ing through the rib bones as you go. Discard the spine bone.
3. Open the chicken out and turn it over. Fla en the breastbone with the heel of your hand.
4. Place the spatchcock chicken in the marinade and turn it over to coat the chicken on all sides, rubbing the marinade into the skin. Cover the roasting dish with cling film and transfer to the fridge to marinate, 12-24 hours.
5. To cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 200oC or prepare your coals. Remove it from the marinade and reserve a marinade coating on the chicken. Either pan-fry the spatchcock chicken in a hot griddle pan to brown, 10 minutes per side, then return it to the roasting dishwith the marinade and cook in the preheated oven, 20-30 minutes or until cooked through. Alternatively, if cooking the chicken on a braai, place it on a grid over medium coals, about 20-25 minutes per side, until cooked through.