Ingredients
- 1.6kg chicken, backbone removed
- 1 red onion, finely sliced into rings
- 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp thyme sprigs
- 1/2 tsp dried red chilli flakes
- Sea salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lemon, cut into eight wedges
- 200ml dry white wine or water
- 2 segments preserved lemon
- 1 cup coriander sprigs, loosely packed
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, loosely packed
Method
Heat oven to 220C. Place flattened chicken skin-side up in a roasting pan lined with baking paper and scatter with onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, thyme, chilli, salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and the juice of two lemon wedges. Add white wine to the pan and roast for 40-45 minutes or until chicken skin is golden and meat cooked through.
Rinse preserved lemon, scrape off and discard flesh and finely slice skin into matchsticks. Toss with coriander, parsley and one tablespoon pan juices. Remove chicken to a chopping board. Cut into sections and thickly slice the breasts. Serve with herb salad, remaining lemon wedges and pan juices.
Tip: Ask your butcher to butterfly or spatchcock the chicken. Otherwise, just cut down either side of the backbone of the chicken and remove, turn the chicken over and press firmly down on the breastbone to flatten it.
