Serving size: Serves 4
Cuisine type: Traditional
Cooking time: More than 2 hours
Course: Lunch, Main
Favourite flavours: Chicken, Spicy

Butterflied garlic chilli chicken with crisp sweet potatoes

INGREDIENTS

1.4kg whole chicken
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 teaspoons mild paprika
¼ cup finely chopped fresh coriander
½ teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon olive oil

crisp sweet potatoes
1 medium (450g) orange sweet potato, scrubbed and sliced thinly
1 medium (450g) purple sweet potato, scrubbed and sliced thinly
1 medium (140g) red-skinned potato (such as pontiac or desiree), sliced thinly
2 tablespoons olive oil

METHOD

Rinse chicken under cold water; pat dry inside and out with absorbent paper. Place the chicken, breast-side down, on a board. Use poultry shears to cut down both sides of the backbone and discard the bone. Open out the chicken, turn it over and press on the breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten.

Combine the garlic, lemon juice, paprika, coriander, chilli, olive oil and chicken in a large shallow dish. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to marinate.

Place the chicken in a large baking dish, skin-side up and wing tips tucked under. Reserve any remaining marinade for basting. Preheat oven to 240°C
(220°C fan-forced).

Crisp sweet potatoes
Line a large oven tray with baking paper. Combine potatoes and olive oil in a large bowl; toss to coat. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread potatoes in a thin layer on prepared tray.

Place chicken in the centre or lower part of the oven and place the potatoes above it in the top part of the oven. Roast for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting the chicken with the reserved marinade and pan juices, and turning the potatoes with an egg slide twice during cooking.

Remove the chicken from the oven. Cover chicken in the dish with foil and rest in a warm place for 10 minutes. Turn the potatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes or until golden and crisp.

Serve chicken with crisp potatoes.