Black pepper chicken & lemon yogurt
We tend to think of pepper as seasoning rather than a spice, but this recipe proves just how much heat and flavour it can bring to a dish when you make it the star of the show. Here, we’ve spatchcocked the chicken for quick cooking and to give the marinade maximum coverage, but it can also be used on a standard whole chicken or budget-friendly chicken pieces.
SERVES 4 PREP 30 mins plus 1 hr marinating COOK 45 mins EASY
1 tbsp black peppercorns
5 garlic cloves, grated, plus
1 whole garlic bulb
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 lemons, 1 juiced, plus extra wedges to serve
1.5g whole chicken, spatchcocked (see tip, right)
1 tbsp olive oil
400g Greek yogurt
small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped (optional)
peppered rice, to serve (see right)
1 Crush the peppercorns using a pestle and mortar. Add the grated garlic and ½ tsp salt, and mash to a thick paste. Stir in the turmeric and lemon juice, then set aside.
2 Sit the chicken in a dish, skin-side up, and evenly slash the skin all over. Rub the marinade all over the chicken so it’s completely coated, then cover and chill for at least 1 hr, or ideally overnight.
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Transfer the chicken to a shallow roasting tray, skin-side up, and sit the garlic bulb alongside it. Drizzle the oil mostly over the chicken and a little over the garlic. Roast for 30 mins, then remove the garlic bulb from the tray and set aside. Continue to roast the chicken for 10-15 mins more, or until crisp-skinned and
