Roast chicken with pistachios and sour cherries

Ingreadient

• 1 red onion, cut into 1cm slices
• 100g greek yogurt
• 1 tsp orange blossom water or rosewater
• 2 pinches saffron, soaked in 1 tbsp warm water
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 1.5kg whole free-range chicken, spatchcocked (ask your butcher to do this for you, if you like, or follow our step-by-step guide)
• 60g shelled pistachios, whizzed to a coarse powder
• 50g dried sour cherries, roughly chopped (you could also use barberries)
• 1 tsp sumac
• Small bunch mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped

Instruction

1. In a food processor/mini blender, whizz a quarter of the onion with the yogurt, orange blossom water or rosewater, the saffron and its soaking liquid, the ground spices, garlic, 1 tsp salt and some black pepper.
2. Pour the whizzed sauce over the chicken, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, although the longer the better. Remove the chicken from the fridge about 20 minutes before you plan to cook it.
3. Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6. Put the remaining onion in a deep roasting tray and put the chicken on top, then add 1cm water. Roast the chicken for 35-45 minutes or until cooked through with good colour and beginning to char around the edges. Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then serve scattered with the pistachios, cherries, sumac and mint.