Finger-licking good chicken
Spatchcock chicken
Serves 6 | Preparation time 30 minutes | Cooking time 35 – 40 minutes
You need
• 1 large chicken (1,6 kg)
• 100 g butter
• 5 big cloves of garlic, sliced
• 2 red chillies, chopped
• 1 sprig of rosemary, needles stripped and chopped
• juice and grated peel of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
Here’s how
1 To spatchcock the chicken, use sharp scissors to remove the backbone. Put the chicken on a chopping board with the breast facing up. Press down on the breastbone with your hand until it breaks, flattening the bird.
2 Use a sharp knife and make two cuts into each thigh and one into each drumstick.
3 Mix the butter, garlic, chilli, rosemary, lemon juice and peel, and spices together. Carefully separate the skin from the breast and rub the flavoured butter under the skin and into the cuts. Season the chicken all over, and brush the outside with olive oil.
4 Braai the chicken for 10 minutes with the breastbone facing down, then turn it over and braai for another 10 minutes. (Stick one metal skewer through the wings and one through the thighs to keep the chicken flat and make it easier to turn over.) Braai for another 15 – 20 minutes – if you’re using a kettle braai, close the lid to add a smoky flavour.
5 When the chicken is browned and cooked through, set it aside to rest for 15 minutes before you serve.
Giant chicken kebab
This big kebab is meant to share.
Serves 6 | Preparation time 15 minutes, plus time to marinate | Cooking time 1 hour
You need
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
• ½ teaspoon each of ground coriander and cumin
• big pinch of dried chilli flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 kg deboned chicken thighs
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 large red onions
• 200 g streaky bacon
Here’s how
1 Mix the garlic, herbs and spices with the olive oil. Coat the chicken with this mixture and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
2 Remove the chicken from the fridge and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the lemon juice. Cut the onion into thick slices. Thread the onion, chicken and bacon onto one or two big metal skewers, alternating the ingredients.
3 If your braai has a motorised rotisserie, use it to cook the skewers over medium-hot coals for about an hour. The chicken will be golden brown with a subtle smoky flavour. If you’re using a kettle braai, clear the coals to the sides for the indirect cooking method. Put a foil container in the middle. Stick each skewer into a halved onion to hold it upright and put the skewers in the foil container. Close the lid and braai for about 40 minutes. Cook the skewers on their sides for another 15 minutes – turn them regularly to make sure they’re browned and cooked on all sides. Baste the skewers with the remaining marinade as you braai them.
4 Cut the chicken, bacon and onion from the skewers. Serve with a yoghurt sauce in tortillas or pitas, with a fresh salad and lemon wedges.
Chicken kebabs with jalapeño, honey and lime
Makes 6 kebabs | Preparation time 20 minutes, plus 1 hour to marinate | Cooking time 15 – 20 minutes
You need
• 4 chicken breast fillets, each cut into 5 pieces
• 10 strips of streaky bacon, halved
• 1 red onion, cut into quarters and separated
• 10 lemon or bay leaves (optional)
• black pepper, to taste
MARINADE
• 3 tablespoons olive oil• 3 tablespoons runny honey• juice and grated zest of 1• 1 big pickled jalapeño, finely chopped• 2 big cloves of garlic, finely chopped• salt, to taste
