Butterflied chicken is ideal for the barbecue because the whole bird cooks at the same temperature. Smothered in a spicy marinade and served with kachumber, this is high summer food. Coconut rice and mango chutney would be perfect on the side.
Serves: 4-5
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
3cm piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
5 cloves garlic, halved
½ cup plain yoghurt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons tandoori masala spice mix (I used the Cassia brand)
1 teaspoon each ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon and turmeric
½ teaspoon ground chilli
¼ teaspoon salt
1.5-kilogram butterflied chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kachumber
½ cucumber, deseeded and finely chopped
½ green capsicum, cored and finely chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh coriander
3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon chaat masala
pinch sea salt
METHOD
CHICKEN: In a food processor, blitz ginger and garlic until finely chopped. Add everything except the chicken and oil, then process until smooth. Place the chicken on a lined tray and coat with the marinade. Cover and let marinate for at least 1 hour but up to 6. Refrigerate if marinating for more than 1 hour.
Preheat a barbecue to medium (around 180°C). Drizzle the chicken with the oil and place on the grill, breast side up. Cook, covered, for 1 hour, or until cooked through. Baste for the first half hour only with any remaining marinade. Once cooked, remove from heat, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
KACHUMBER: Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
TO SERVE: Cut the chicken into chunks and serve with the kachumber.
Drinks match:
Whenever a new Saint Clair Godfrey's Creek Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2020 ($35) is released, I go into spasms of joy and for hours I can’t answer the phone properly. "Gewürztramorning, you’ve reached Yvonne." Embarrassing. It’s generously dry and spice-saturated, and shows more lychee and ginger than you can trebuchet a tandoori at: it's a New Zealand icon. Saintclair.co.nz
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Depending on where you live, spring can bring anything from warmer temperatures and rainy days, to hail, sleet and snow! Dish has you covered for all weather in our latest issue with everything from new season’s fresh asparagus to comforting fried chicken, three ways. With pizzas, dinners for two, recipes for entertaining, indulgent desserts, easy ‘make it tonight’ dishes, an extract from Olivia Galletly’s latest cookbook, fritters, and even a Mexican feast, this issue is jam-packed. With 100 recipes, this bumper issue is one not to be missed!