Cumin & lemon chicken with Persian chop salad

Name: Cumin & lemon chicken with Persian chop salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 unwaxed lemons; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp fine salt; 530 g packs chicken legs; 2 small preserved lemons, deseeded; 6 clove/s large cloves garlic; 2 tsp sumac; 2 tbsp clear honey; 90 g butter, softened; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; Handstretched flatbreads, to serve

This lemony chicken from Gurdeep Loyal creates its own buttery sauce as it bakes – scented with earthy cumin and sumac. The zingy salad is enlivened with pomegranate molasses and herby zaatar – a great festive all-rounder (it’s also delicious with cold cuts).

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Serves6
CourseMain meal
Prepare15 mins
Cook1 hr 15 mins
Total time1 hr 30 mins
PlusMarinating

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3 unwaxed lemons
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp fine salt
3 x 530g packs chicken legs
2 small preserved lemons, deseeded
6 clove/s large cloves garlic
2 tsp sumac
2 tbsp clear honey
90g butter, softened
1 tbsp cumin seeds
Handstretched flatbreads, to serve

For the salad

1 large cucumber
350g classic vine tomatoes
400g can chickpeas in water, drained
½ red onion, finely diced
1 tsp fine salt
2 tbsp zaatar
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
25g pack mint, leaves only, finely chopped

Finely grate 2 tsp zest from the lemons, then squeeze their juice, to give 4 tbsp. Cut 6 thin slices from the third lemon. In a jug, whisk the lemon juice, ground cumin and salt into a brine. Slash the chicken legs 3-4 times each in the fleshiest parts, then place in a large deep roasting tray. Pour over the lemony brine, using your fingers to get it deep into all the grooves and slits. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes (or in the fridge if longer).
Meanwhile, in a small blender, whizz the preserved lemons, garlic, sumac and honey into a smooth paste. Empty into a bowl, then use a fork to mash in the soft butter and lemon zest, until you have a smooth mix.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Shake off the chicken pieces so the brine is in the bottom of the tray and the slashed fleshy parts on top. Smear the lemon-garlic butter all over the chicken, getting it deep into the grooves and slits. Sprinkle with the cumin seeds, place a lemon slice on top of each, then roast for 1 hours-1 hour 15 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown, cooked through and tender with no pink meat and juices that run clear. Cover with foil if it’s browning too quickly.
For the salad, halve and deseed the cucumber using a teaspoon (save these for smoothies), then chop into half-moons and add to a large bowl. Deseed the tomatoes, chop into pieces, then add to the bowl. Add the chickpeas and red onion, the salt and the zaatar. Mix well, then pour over the pomegranate molasses and extra virgin olive oil, then stir through the mint.
Serve the chicken with the chopped salad, a ladle of buttery roasting tin juices, and some flatbreads.

Typical values per serving (excluding flatbreads) when made using specific products in recipe