Roast chicken with a twist

What family doesn’t like a roasted chicken? Crispy skin, succulent breast meat or a drumstick to get your teeth into. Delicious! This month’s roasted Moroccan chicken adds a spicy twist to a family favourite. Enjoy…

Recipe by Andrew Draper (Chef extraordinaire at Harvey’s)
Pictures by Jacqueline Putz

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken
800g butternut, roasted
100g feta cheese
80g dukka spice mix
1 bunch coriander
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1 jar harrissa paste
500ml cream
50g rocket

TO MAKE

Mix half of the butternut with feta cheese, 10g dukka spice and 1/4 of the coriander. Stuff the whole chicken with this mixture. Rub the breasts with 10g of dukka spice, season with salt and pepper. Bake in a 180°C oven until cooked, with the top element on to brown the chicken. Boil the harrissa with the cream, season to taste. Arrange the chicken on the remaining half of the roasted butternut with rocket, drizzle with the harrissa cream. Top with left-over dukka and coriander.

CHEF’S TIPS

Before starting to cook, always ensure your ingredients are ready – that way when they need to be added you aren’t trying to chop them quickly, go looking for them or start weighing.

Before cooking your chicken, rinse it properly and pat dry inside and out with a paper towel.

Once your chicken is cooked, leave to stand for a few minutes instead of cutting it straight away. This allows the juices to be distributed back into the meat, leaving it juicy and succulent.

Fresh butternut is my first choice, but you can use frozen or pre-prepared if it’s convenient.

For other delicious recipes, click here