Mexican Spiced Roast Chicken – The Chef’s Secret Season Three

A roast chook. Is there a finer way to fill a plate? You can dress it up for a dinner party or down for a weeknight nosh. It’s easy, it’s tasty and it smells good in the oven!

A roast chicken is a benchmark for any cook, and you might think yours is pretty good. But out there, there is always…

A better bird.

Here, we reveal the secret to setting new high water mark for a roast chicken.

A chicken so good, so easy to prepare and so succulent, it will become a high-rotation regular on your table.

Armed with his gas powered oven, celeb chef Adrian ‘Richo’ Richardson is our guide to this gorgeous roast dripping in savoury flavours from south of the border. The Mexican style spice mix adds a kick, with a warm depth that will comfort on a cool day, but with a lightness that makes it just as well suited to a sweaty summer evening.

Mexican Spiced Roast Chicken

For the chicken

• 1 whole chicken, sliced down the middle & flattened (spatchcocked)
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon cumin, ground
• 1 tablespoon coriander, ground
• 1 tablespoon chilli flakes
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons Murray River salt
• Spray olive oil

Salad

• 1 packet fibre super blend (freekeh & lentils) 300 gm
• 1 cup dill
• 1 cup spring onion
• 1 cup coriander
• 1 cup mint
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Garnish

• Juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200 C.
2. Score the breast and legs and place the chicken on to an oven rack on a roasting tray (this will allow the heat to circulate evenly and give you a nice crispy chicken) cover both sides with the spice rub generously, spray with olive oil, turn over and repeat.
3. Pop into the oven skin side up.
4. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
5. To cook the Fibre Super Blend, add 300gms fibre blend into 1 and a ½ litres of water
6. Cook for 20 mins in boiling water.
7. Cool down on a tray, this can be done the day before.
8. Combine the dressing ingredients, add the dill, spring onion, coriander, and mint to the Fibre Super Blend mix, mix the dressing and add just before you serve, toss all the ingredients to combine.
9. Remove the chicken from the oven and pop it onto a serving plate, dress with a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, a squeeze of lime and fresh herbs.

Serves 6