Roast chicken with beetroot and halloumi salad

Spice up your weekend roast chicken with fragrant harissa paste. Serve with a gloriously pink beetroot bulgur salad.

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/4000F/Gas 6.
2. For the roast chicken, heat a small frying pan and add the cumin and caraway seeds. Once they start to release their oils add them to a small food processor. Add the chilli, smoked paprika, garlic, tomato purée and red wine vinegar to the food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
3. Heat a large flat griddle and drizzle oil over the spatchcocked chicken and season with salt and pepper. Place breast-side down and cook for a couple of minutes, then transfer the chicken to a large baking tray. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile for beetroot and halloumi salad, place the bulgur wheat and beetroot juice in a medium saucepan and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until just tender.
5. Heat a ridged griddle pan until hot. Oil the sliced halloumi and cook on the griddle for 1-2 minutes each side until nicely browned.
6. Place the cooked bulgur wheat in a bowl and add the cooked beetroot, pistachios, mint, coriander, pomegranate, lemon zest and juice and olive oil and mix. Add the cooked halloumi to the top.
7. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place for 15-20 minutes. Carve the chicken into pieces and place on a plate along with the beetroot and halloumi salad.

Required techniques

• Spatchcocking chicken and poultry
• Testing whether turkey, chicken and poultry are cooked
• How to prepare a pomegranate