Lemon spatchcock chicken with sweetcorn guacamole

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6.

2. Using a sharp pair of scissors or a pair of poultry shears, cut down either side of the chicken's backbone. Open out the chicken and flatten on a board by pressing down with the heel of your hand.

3. Grate the lemon zest, cut the lemons in half and squeeze out the juice, reserving the lemon halves. Mix the lemon zest and juice with the oil and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

4. Place the chicken in a large dish and pour the lemon marinade over. Tuck in the reserved lemon halves. Cover and chill for 1 hour, or longer if possible.

5. Lay the chicken in a roasting tin, skin side down and add the lemon marinade and lemon halves. Roast for about 45 minutes. Turn the chicken over, baste well with the juices and cook for a further 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked, golden and crisp.

6. To make the chips, scrub the potatoes and cut into fat chips.

7. Toss with the olive oil and soy sauce.

8. Transfer to a large roasting tin and season with the black pepper and grated nutmeg. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until golden and crisp.

9. For the sweetcorn guacamole, peel the avocado. Remove the stone and cut the flesh into 1cm dice. Place in a bowl and squeeze over the lime juice.

10. Add the remaining ingredients to the guacamole and season with a little salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

11. Meanwhile, place the butter, chilli, lime juice and lime zest in a small saucepan. Place over a low heat and heat very gently until the butter has melted and everything is well combined.

12. Place the chicken on a wooden board and serve it at the table, with the sweetcorn guacamole and roasted lemon halves. Serve with the sweet potato chips hot and the lime and chilli butter on the side.

Comments                        add a comment

Surely this is way too long - a whole chicken at that size would only take 1hr40mins. . .

Ingredients

1.8kg chicken
2 large lemons
3 tbsp Olive oil
freshly ground salt and pepper

For the sweetcorn guacamole

1 large ripe avocado
1 lime, juice only
285g Sweetcorn
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 large red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp chopped coriander

For the fat chips

675g sweet potato, (or substitute ordinary potato)
2 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp Soy sauce
black pepper
pinch grated nutmeg

For the butter dip

85g Butter
2 red chillies, seeds removed and finely chopped
1 lime, zest and juice

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