Ingredients (serves 2)
1 or 2 spatchcock (500g each)*
1 tablespoon ras el hanout*
1 lemon, zest finely grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed
Sea salt & cracked pepper
Micro herbs or parsley
Israeli Cous Cous
¾ cup Israeli couscous
½ small onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
14 cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup cucumber, seeds removed, diced
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Baba Ganoush
1 small eggplant
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon roasted garlic or garlic
1 tablespoon tahini (store-bought)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Method
- To prepare spatchcock, wash & pat dry chicken, place chicken breast side down on a clean work surface. Starting at tail end, cut along each side of the backbone with kitchen shears and remove it. Flip spatchcock over and open it like a book, press firmly on breastbone to flatten, trim any excess fat.
- In a small bowl add ras el hanout, lemon zest, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil, mix well. (Double the marinade if using 2 spatchcocks). Place spatchcock on a plate and season with salt & pepper. Rub skin side with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and allow to infuse for 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.
- Baba Ganoush: Pre-heat oven to 220°C (425°F) (or as high as your oven can go). Place the whole eggplant on an oven tray and bake for 15 minutes until eggplant is soft. Remove and cool slightly, then peel off the charred skin. Place eggplant, cumin, lemon juice and garlic in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Pass the eggplant puree through a fine sieve into a clean bowl. Add tahini and oil, blend and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add parsley mix well, cover and set aside or chill in the fridge overnight. (This will store in the fridge up to 5 days).
- Israeli couscous: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic and sauté for 1 minute, add couscous and stir to toast 1-2 minutes. Add 1 ¼ cups water and bring to the boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl to cool. (This will look sticky, but it will separate once remaining ingredients are added). Add lemon juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil and using a fork break up the cous cous. Then add tomatoes, cucumber and parsley, season to taste and set aside.
- Preheat oven 200°C (400°F). Heat a grill pan or pan over high heat, place breast side down and sear spatchcock skin. Place in roasting pan skin side up and cook for 20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and let stand for 5 minutes, cover with foil to keep warm. Cut each spatchcock in half, then in quarters ready to serve.
To Serve
Using 2 serving plates, spoon cous cous in the centre, arrange spatchcock halves on top and garnish with micro herbs and serve baba ganoush in a bowl on the side.
Chef's Notes
*You can purchase 1 or 2 spatchcocks with this recipe pending your appetite. If you can’t buy spatchcock where you live, you can substitute using chicken breast. Ras el hanout can be found at supermarkets and gourmet food stores. If short on time you can buy ready-made baba ganoush at gourmet food stores.
