Ingredients
| 1 tablespoon cumin | |
| 1 teaspoon black peppercorns | |
| 4 cloves | |
| 1 teaspoon salt | |
| 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves | |
| 1 tablespoon sumac | |
| 2 bay leaves | |
| juice and zest of 2 lemons | |
| ¼ cup olive oil | |
| 1 butterflied chicken (I used Bostock brand) | |
| 400g carrots, baby or if large, peeled, quartered lengthwise | |
| ½ cauliflower, cut in florets | |
| GRILLED COS & BREAD SALAD | |
| 1 tablespoon Turkish chilli paste or harissa | |
| ½ cup plain yoghurt | |
| 1 clove garlic | |
| ½ teaspoon salt | |
| 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard | |
| 2 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar | |
| 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling | |
| 250g cherry tomatoes, halved | |
| 3 baby cos | |
| 1 Turkish pide loaf |
I visited Turkey for the first time in 1993 and have been back many times since. I love its vibrant culture and the food is some of the best I believe you can find. Even the humble kebab can be a revelation. From that first trip, I have fond memories of a chicken doner kebab, the meat perfectly cooked, juicy and flavoured with spices, wrapped in fluffy, charred bread and doused with chilli-yoghurt dressing. Here I have combined these flavours as a roast dinner.
Instructions
| 1. | Put the cumin, peppercorns and cloves in a frying pan and toast over a medium heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. |
| 2. | Transfer to a mortar and pestle with ½ teaspoon of the salt and grind to a powder. |
| 3. | Put in a large bowl with the thyme, sumac, bay leaves, lemon zest and juice and olive oil and mix well. |
| 4. | Add the chicken and coat well, rubbing under the skin. Cover and marinate overnight. |
| 5. | One hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the marinade, place skin-side up in a large roasting dish and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. |
| 6. | Put the carrots and cauliflower into the bowl with the marinade and stir to coat. |
| 7. | Heat the oven to 190°C. |
| 8. | Roast the chicken for 30 minutes, then add the carrots and cauliflower and roast for a further 45 minutes, tossing the veges once, until the chicken is cooked through. |
| 9. | Remove the chicken to a warmed serving dish and cover with foil. |
| 10. | Sit in a warm place for 10 minutes to rest before slicing. |
| 11. | Serve with the roast veges and the cos and bread salad. |
| 12. | GRILLED COS & BREAD SALAD |
| 13. | In a bowl, combine the chilli paste (use a little less if your paste is very hot) and yoghurt and season with a little salt. |
| 14. | Whisk in enough water to make a dressing and set aside. |
| 15. | Crush the garlic and salt to a paste. |
| 16. | Put this in a bowl with the mustard, vinegar and oil and whisk well. |
| 17. | Add the tomatoes and toss well. |
| 18. | Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes. |
| 19. | Heat a grill pan to hot. |
| 20. | Cut each cos into quarters, put on a plate cut sides up and drizzle with olive oil. |
| 21. | Grill the cos for about 3 minutes, turning to char all sides. |
| 22. | Transfer to a serving platter when charred. |
| 23. | Slice the pide through the middle and rub the cut sides into any oil left on the plate, drizzling with more if necessary. |
| 24. | Grill the bread for about 2 minutes each side until charred. |
| 25. | Tear into bite-sized pieces and scatter over the cos. |
| 26. | Just before serving, spoon over the tomatoes with any juices and drizzle with the dressing. |
Recipes and food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles
Leave a Reply