Moroccan butterflied chicken

The flavoursome combination of North African spices takes ordinary chicken to the next level.

Serves 4–6 Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour, 30 minutes Oven temperature: 200°C • 60ml olive oil • 45ml ground coriander • 45ml whole cumin • 10ml cinnamon • 3 cloves garlic, crushed • 1 large whole chicken • 2 x 400g tins chickpeas • 250ml chicken stock • salt and freshly ground black pepper • 125g fresh cherry tomatoes

1 Preheat the oven. Mix the olive oil, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and garlic. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut out the backbone of the chicken (you don’t need it; freeze and use later for chicken stock).

2 Turn the chicken over and flatten with the palm of your hand to butterfly it. Drain the chickpeas and rinse under cold running water. Place the chickpeas in an ovenproof dish and pour the stock over. Place the butterflied chicken on top and season with salt and black pepper. Rub the chicken with the spiced oil. Cover the dish with foil and roast for about 1 hour.

3 Remove the foil, sprinkle the cherry tomatoes on top and roast the chicken for a further 30 minutes or until it is golden brown and cooked through. Serve with hummus.

Hummus

For the best flavour, prepare the day before. Drain 2 x 400g tins chickpeas and process along with 60ml tahini, 4 crushed garlic cloves, the juice of 1 lemon, 60ml olive oil,

2.5ml ground cumin, 2.5ml cayenne pepper, 2.5ml paprika and salt to taste in a food processor (or use a stick blender) until it forms a creamy texture. Taste and season with additional lemon juice, salt and spices if necessary. Drizzle a little extra olive oil over before serving and sprinkle with paprika to garnish.