Got family or relatives coming over for a meal or fancy something a little special for the weekend? This no-fuss recipe won’t let you down. It’s extremely easy to prepare and makes a delicious dinner!
Chilli Roast Chicken
Ingredients:
2 cloves Garlic cloves, crushed
3 Medium-hot fresh red chilies, deseeded
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 teaspoon Coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon Ground turmeric
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 tablespoon Lemon juice
2 tablespoon Roughly chopped fresh coriander
1.4 kg/3 lb Oven-ready chicken
550 g/1 1/4 lb Butternut squash
15 g/1/2 oz Unsalted butter, melted
2.5 cm/1 inch Fresh root ginger, peeled and chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley and coriander sprigs, to garnish
To serve:
4 baked potatoes
seasonal green vegetables
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5. Roughly chop the chilies and put in a food processor with the turmeric, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, olive oil, coriander, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Blend to a paste, leaving the ingredients still slightly chunky.
Starting at the neck end of the chicken, gently ease up the skin to loosen it from the breast. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the paste. Push the remaining paste over the chicken breast under the skin, spreading it evenly.
Put the chicken in a large roasting tin. Mix the reserved chili paste with the melted butter. Use 1 tablespoon to brush evenly over the chicken, roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, halve, peel and scoop out the seeds from the butternut squash. Cut into large chunks and mix in the remaining chili paste and butter mixture.
Arrange the butternut squash around the chicken. Roast for a further hour, basting with the cooking juices about every 20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the squash tender. Garnish with parsley and coriander. Serve hot with baked potatoes and green vegetables.
This is a great option to serve at a summer dinner party and the chilli flavor works wonderfully with the chicken thighs.