Thai roast chicken with mango & apple salad

• shallots↗3

  halved

• small red chillies↗2

  deseeded, half roughly chopped and half finely chopped

• zest and juice 1 lime
• thumb-length piece of fresh root ginger

  finely grated

• sunflower oil↗ tsp
• chicken breasts↗2

  skin on

• red-skinned apple↗1

  cut into matchsticks

• ½ mango

  peeled and cut into matchsticks

• ½ small bunch mint

  leaves picked

• spring onions↗3

  sliced

• small bunch coriander

  leaves picked

• ½ tsp fish sauce tsp

  plus a splash

• ¼ tsp caster sugar tsp

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Process the shallots in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the roughly chopped chilli, ¾ of the ginger and all the lime zest, then blend into a chunky paste. Transfer to a frying pan with 1 tsp oil and seasoning, and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C/fan 180 °C/gas 6. Peel the skin off the chicken breasts along one side and fill with the spicy shallot stuffing. Can be prepared up to a day ahead. Season the skin, then roast in a roasting tin for 15‑20 minutes until golden, crisp and cooked through. Meanwhile, prepare the rice (see right).

3. 3

   Combine the apple, mango, mint, spring onions and half the coriander. Mix the fish sauce, caster sugar, remaining ginger and lime juice, then set aside.

4. 4

   When the chicken is ready, transfer it to a plate to rest. Place the roasting tin on the stove. Spoon off any excess fat, then gently heat, adding the remaining lime juice and an extra splash of fish sauce, scraping up the chicken juices to form a sauce. Chop the remaining coriander and stir it into the sauce with the finely chopped chilli. Toss the salad with the dressing, then serve with the chicken, sauce and sticky rice.