Spiced chicken with wild mushrooms and garlic toast
Ras-el-hanout-spiced chicken and herby wild mushrooms make a wonderful pair, drizzled in a rich chicken dressing and served with chargrilled, garlicky sourdough.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ras-el-hanout
- 1.2kg/2Ib 10oz whole chicken, spatchcocked
- sprig rosemary, leaves picked
- sprig thyme, leaves picked
- 10 sage leaves
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 2 garlic bulbs, halved across the equator
- olive oil
- handful tarragon or parsley, to serve
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
- 600ml/1 pint hot chicken stock
- 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- handful chopped rosemary, thyme and sage
For the mushrooms
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 500g/1lb 2oz mixed wild mushrooms (such as chanterelles, trompettes and girolles)
- 2 tbsp butter
For the garlic toast
- 6 slices sourdough
- olive oil, for drizzling
Method
Light the barbecue. Allow the flames to flare up and die down, then wait until the coals are glowing.
Rub the ras-el-hanout evenly into the chicken and season well.
Place the chicken on the barbecue and grill over an indirect heat. Cook until the chicken is golden, with nice bar marks on both sides.
Transfer the chicken to a large cast iron casserole dish and add half the herbs, the lemon zest and juice. Smash 3 of the garlic halves with the blunt side of a knife (reserving one garlic half for the toast) and add to the pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover with a lid, place back on the grill and cook for 20–30 minutes until cooked through.
To make the dressing, pour the chicken stock into a pan and reduce by half. Add the herbs and leave to cool and infuse.
Pour the herby stock into a jam jar, followed by the olive oil and sherry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and shake to mix.
To make the mushrooms, place a pan over a high heat and add the olive oil and mushrooms. Season generously and stir through the remaining rosemary, thyme and sage. Cook until golden brown and crisp, then stir through the butter. Add to the chicken pan.
To make the garlic toast, drizzle the bread in olive oil and rub the sides of each slice with the remaining garlic half. Place the bread on the barbecue and grill until charred on both sides.
To serve, drizzle the dressing over the chicken and mushrooms. Tuck the garlic toast under the chicken and mushrooms in the casserole dish, then scatter over the tarragon or parsley and some black pepper. Serve from the pan for everyone to tuck in.
