Chicken with lemons, sumac & spiced yogurt

4 servings 600 kcal or less bbc bbc good food magazine june chicken chilli powder diner dinner garlic clove garlic cloves ground coriander ground turmeric judge lemon lemons mains masterchef natural yogurt olive olives over an hour red chilli red chillies roast chicken shallot shallots spring onion spring onions sumac super supper television tv yoghurt

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Source

Ingredients

1 large free-range chicken (about 1.5kg/3lb 5oz in size)

3 lemons , cut into eights

handful black, pitted olives

3 small shallots , peeled and left whole

6 garlic cloves , peeled and squashed

2 tbsp sumac (see Know-how, below)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp each ground coriander and cumin

½ tsp each ground turmeric and mustard seeds

½ tsp chilli powder , mild or hot, depending on taste

500g pot natural yogurt

1 long red chilli , thinly sliced

bunch spring onions , sliced

Method

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Two things happen to the chicken. First, season the inside. In a bowl mix the lemons, olives, shallots and garlic with half the sumac and some salt. Scrunch them all together and add 1 tbsp of water. Open the bird up and pour the mix into the cavity.

Then the outside. Take the oil and the rest of the sumac and rub onto the chicken, massaging it into every part possible. Roast for 11⁄2 hrs or until cooked through and the juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the leg.

While the chicken is cooking, mix all the ingredients for the spiced yogurt with some salt – if you like it a little milder, deseed the chilli before slicing it. Carve the chicken and serve topped with a dollop of the yogurt.