Spatchcock chicken with lemon and chilli sauce recipe

Chicken legs work just as well as poussins in this recipe - and you can cook it on the barbecue!

Ingredients

• 3 x 450g (1lb) poussin, spatchcocked (see below) or 6 chicken legs
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons mixed herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley), very finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 lemons, finely sliced
• 1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced

Method

1. Put the chickens in a large dish and coat with the olive oil. Sprinkle well with herbs and seasoning, and add the lemon slices. Cover and leave for an hour or longer. Set the oven to Gas Mark 6 or 200°C and put a shallowish roasting tin in to heat up.
2. Put the chicken in the preheated tin. Set aside the lemon slices. Cook the chicken in the oven for 30-35 minutes until just browned and cooked through (when a skewer is inserted into the thigh, the juices that run out should be clear).
3. Remove chicken from the tin, reserving juices, and leave covered in foil. Put the lemon slices in roasting tin and cook in the oven at Gas Mark 7 or 220°C for 15-20 minutes, until just caramelised.
4. Meanwhile, pour the chicken juices into a wide pan, bring to the boil, add the chilli and reduce to a sauce, which takes about 10 minutes, while the lemon slices cook. Check the seasoning.
5. Chop each spatchcock in half and arrange in a bowl or on a platter. Scatter with the lemon slices and pour the hot dressing over.