Turmeric chicken with toum
The yogurt marinade acts like a brine, tenderising the meat and making it juicier than a normal roasted chicken. While the meat cooks, the marinade forms a hard shell around the bird that prevents juices from escaping, steaming it from the inside out and keeping it moist. The delicate floral spices of fennel seed, coriander, orange peel and orange blossom taste incredible on the crispy skin.
1 HOUR 30 MINUTES + OVERNIGHT MARINATING SERVES 4 | EASY | GF
ground turmeric 1 tbsp
ground dried orange peel 2 tsp (see p79)
fennel seeds 1 tsp, ground
ground cumin 3/4 tsp
ground coriander 11/2 tsp
garlic 1 clove, finely grated
turmeric 2cm piece, peeled and finely grated
orange juice 1 tbsp
orange blossom water 1 tbsp, plus 1 tsp
greek yogurt 180g
whole chicken 1.5kg flatbreads and pickles to serve
TOUM
garlic 14 large cloves, roughly chopped
lemon juice 2 tbsp
sea salt flakes 1 heaped tsp
orange blossom water 2 tbsp
rapeseed oil 300ml
1 To make the marinade, combine the ground turmeric, orange peel, fennel, cumin, coriander, garlic and fresh turmeric in a bowl. Add the orange juice, orange blossom water and yogurt, and stir to combine. Season the cavity of the chicken then rub some of the marinade inside.
2 Evenly season the outside of the chicken. Put it in a shallow dish and let it sit uncovered at room temperature for 30 minutes. Rub the marinade all over the outside (it seems like a lot but do use it all). Transfer, uncovered, to the fridge and leave to marinate overnight.
3 To make the toum, tip the garlic, lemon juice, salt and orange blossom water into a blender, and pulse on the lowest setting until just combined. Add the oil in a slow and steady stream while continuing to blend on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium-high until the mixture has fully emulsified. The consistency should be similar to mayonnaise. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for one week. The consistency will thicken slightly after chilling.
4 Remove the chicken from the fridge two hours before cooking (cooking the chicken cold will take longer and might dry out the meat). Heat the oven to 230C/fan 210C/gas 8. Put the chicken breast-side up on a wire rack over a roasting tin and roast for 50 minutes-1 hour or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced. For best results, use an instant-read thermometer – it should be at 70-75C. If your chicken is heavier than 1.5kg, you will need to cook it for 10-15 minutes longer. If the skin is browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil. Remove the chicken from the oven and rest for 15 minutes. Carve and serve with a side of toum, flatbreads and pickles.
PER SERVING 677 kcals | fat 50.4G saturates 10.8G | carbs 4.8G | sugars 3G fibre 1.4G | protein 50.3G | salt 0.9G
Tahini
In Middle Eastern cooking, tahini refers to both the paste made from ground white sesame seeds and the creamy condiment that’s made from the paste. This recipe is the latter, and calls for tahini paste that’s then mixed with garlic, lemon, salt and ice-cold water to form a rich, silky dip that’s ideal with warm pitta, grilled meats or anything in a sandwich.
20 MINUTES | SERVES 6-8 AS A STARTER OR SIDE | EASY | GF garlic 2 large cloves, finely grated
lemon juice 2 tbsp
raw tahini paste 440g
sea salt flakes 1 tbsp
black sesame seeds toasted, to garnish
olive oil for drizzling
pittas to serve
1 In a small bowl, combine the garlic and lemon juice and allow to sit for 3 minutes. Tip the mixture into a food processor along with the tahini paste and 238ml of ice-cold water (including the ice), and blitz. Once the mixture thickens to a paste-like consistency, add another 238ml of ice-cold water and blitz again until all of the ice has broken up completely. For a thinner tahini, add an additional 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp of lemon juice and 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp of ice-cold water.
2 Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to three days. To serve, spoon the tahini into a small bowl, top with the sesame seeds, drizzle with olive oil and serve with the pittas.
PER SERVING (8) 355 kcals | fat 32.4G saturates 4.6G | carbs 0.7G | sugars 0.3G fibre 5.9G | protein 12.1G | salt 1.9G