Serves 4–6 by Lucy Tweed
Cooking time 50 minutes + resting
This technique, with all those robust flavours braising underneath the chicken as it roasts and gets crisp on top, is one of my favourite ways to cook. Separating a few classic cacciatore ingredients and mixing them together as a fresh little side is a fun variation.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 whole chicken (about 1.5kg), butterflied (see Hints)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, sliced into thin strips
1 yellow capsicum, sliced into thin strips
1 long red chilli, cut in half (optional)
1 brown onion, thinly sliced
400g canned crushed tomatoes
100ml dry white wine
100ml chicken stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
Crusty bread or fries, to serve
SIMPLE SALSA SALAD
1 handful black Spanish or Kalamata pitted olives
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh oregano
15g (½ cup) roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Juice and zest of ½ lemon
1 small garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan-forced.
In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the smoked paprika, sweet paprika, cumin, chilli flakes, ground coriander, oregano and salt and pepper. Rub the mixture all over the butterflied chicken.
In a large bowl, toss the garlic, capsicums, chilli (if using) and onion with the crushed tomatoes, white wine, chicken stock, tomato paste, bay leaf, red-wine vinegar, the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Pour this mixture into a large baking tray with sides and nestle the chicken, skin-side up, on top.
Roast for 50–55 minutes, basting the chicken skin a few times with the pan juices, until the chicken is deeply golden and the sauce is thick, glossy and bubbling.
Combine all the salsa salad ingredients together in a bowl and season well. Set aside until serving.
Rest the chicken for 5–10 minutes in the juices before carving. Spoon over plenty of the sauce and serve with a big chunk of fresh crusty bread or fries. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
HINTS
• Butterflying a chicken is simple with a sharp knife or kitchen shears. Simply place the chicken breast-side down then snip away the backbone, cutting either side of it along the ribs. (You can freeze this for stock or discard it.) Now turn the chicken breast-side up and flatten it out, cracking the wishbone at the top with the palm of your hand — alternatively, you can ask your butcher to do this.
• If the sauce gets too thick at the end, add a little hot stock or water to keep it glossy and spoonable.
• Swap white wine for beer for a more rustic, earthy flavour.
• Add a squeeze of lemon over the chicken right before serving, for brightness.
