Roasted Chicken with Salbitxada Sauce

I don't know what it is about a chicken roasting in my oven that makes me feel like a domestic goddess, but it does. I feel like I've channelled Nigella Lawson and I'm faffing about in my gorgeous kitchen, with my gorgeous hair and gorgeous cheekbones. Then I catch my reflection in the oven door and think "Oh no, it's just me... in my yoga pants."




Roasted Chicken with Salbitxada Sauce
slightly adapted from here
Serves 4

For the Chicken:
1 1.5kg chicken, back bone removed and slashed in a few places to allow for even cooking
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 red chilli
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Sea salt
125ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons orange juice
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Sauce:
3 tomatoes, seeds removed
1 red capsicum, roasted and peeled
30g toasted natural sliced almonds
1/2 teaspoon dried red chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
125ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Roast the Chicken:
Preheat the oven to 220C.

Place the chicken on a baking tray. Open out like a book, skin-side up, and press down with your palms to flatten slightly.

Put the garlic, chilli and coriander seeds into a small food processor and blitz to chop finely. Transfer to a heat-proof bowl. Heat the oil in a saucepan to hot and pour it over the garlic mixture. Add the salt, vinegar, lime and orange juices and pepper. Mix to combine and pour it over the chicken. Leave the chicken to marinate in the fridge for an hour.

Roast the chicken in the oven for about 50 - 60 minutes. The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear when pierced with a sharp knife through the thigh.

Leave the chicken to rest in a warm place for 20 minutes before carving. Serve with copious amounts of Salbitxada Sauce.

For the Sauce:
Put the tomatoes, capsicum, almonds, chilli flakes, paprika, garlic. lemon zest, parsley and vinegar into a heat-proof bowl. Heat the oil in a saucepan to hot and pour it over the tomato mixture. Transfer to a small food processor and blitz until roughly chopped. You still want it to have some texture. Season with salt and pepper.