Spatchcock chicken with blackberries and grapes
A new and delicious way to serve chicken
SERVES
6
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
20
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
40
MINUTES
Ingredients
1 whole free-range organic chicken
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
chopped rosemary or thyme leaves
extra virgin olive oil or butter
a few cloves of garlic
For the sauce:
100g seedless grapes
300g blackberries
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses
2 cloves of garlic peeled and crushed
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon chopped marjoram
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves and stalks
pinch of chopped dill
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra sprigs of coriander and dill for garnish
Method
Insert a heavy chopping knife into the cavity of the chicken from the back end to the neck. Press down sharply to cut through the backbone. Alternatively place the chicken breast side down on the chopping board, using poultry shears cut along the entire length of the backbone as close to the centre as possible.
Open the bird out as much as possible. Slash each chicken leg two or three times with a sharp knife. Season with flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper, sprinkle with chopped rosemary or thyme and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Transfer to a roasting tin. Turn skin side upwards and tuck the whole garlic cloves underneath. Roast on the barbeque or in a preheated oven 180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4 for 40 minutes approximately. Check the colour of the juices between the thigh and the breast – they should run clean if the chicken is cooked.
To make the sauce, place the grapes and blackberries in a blender and render to a smooth purée. Pass through a sieve and place in a small saucepan. Add the pomegranate molasses, season with salt and pepper and bring to a bare simmer. Add in the garlic, cayenne and marjoram and simmer gently for a further 5 minutes. Finally, add the coriander and dill. Taste and correct seasoning.
Serve the sauce hot with the carved chicken and its cooking juices and sprinkled with a few sprigs of coriander and dill.
