Chicken with lemons, sumac & spiced yogurt

• large free-range chicken↗1

  (about 1.5kg/3lb 5oz in size)

• lemons↗3

  cut into eights

• black, pitted oliveshandful
• small shallots↗3

  peeled and left whole

• garlic cloves↗6

  peeled and squashed

• sumac2 tbsp tbsp

  (see Know-how, below)

• vegetable oil↗1 tbsp tbsp
• ground coriander1 tsp tsp

  and cumin

• ground turmeric tsp

  and mustard seeds

• chilli powder tsp

  mild or hot, depending on taste

• pot natural yogurt500g g
• long red chilli↗1

  thinly sliced

• spring onions↗bunch

  sliced

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

   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.

3. 3

   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.