Spatchcock chicken with fennel and mango salad

Spatchcock chicken with fennel and mango salad

A tasty, simple and fast way to cook a whole chicken.

Add a little spice to the marinade if you like - it will complement the fruity salad.

Ingredients

For the spatchcock chicken

1 x 1.8kg/4lb free-range chicken, spatchcocked

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp chopped rosemary

2 tbsp thyme leaves

extra virgin olive oil or butter

4 garlic cloves

For the fennel and mango salad

100g shelled toasted hazelnuts

2 mangoes, peeled, stone removed, flesh cut into 1cm/½ in cubes or 5mm/¼in slices

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut lengthways into thin slices

100ml oz olive oil

1 lemon, juice only

4 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

250g feta cheese

Preparation method

Preheat the oven to 180C

For the spatchcock chicken, slash each chicken leg two or three times with a sharp knife. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, sprinkle with chopped rosemary and thyme leaves and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Transfer to a roasting tin. Place skin-side upwards and tuck the whole garlic cloves underneath. Roast in a preheated oven for 50 minutes to an hour, or until the juices run clear

For the fennel and mango salad, lightly crush the hazelnuts in a pestle and mortar or place in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to break them up. 

Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the mango and fennel with the olive oil, lemon juice and mint. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, cut the chicken into portions, then divide the salad between plates, scatter over the toasted hazelnuts and crumble over the feta cheese.

I also love this salad with salmon.