One-tin butter chicken & chickpeas

Name: One-tin butter chicken & chickpeas
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 tsp fenugreek seeds; 1 tsp sea salt flakes; ½ tsp mild chilli powder; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1½ tbsp garam masala; 80 g salted butter, softened; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 1¾ kg slower reared large whole chicken; 3 echalion shallots, peeled and halved; 40 g ginger, cut into 2-3mm slices; 1 bulb garlic, halved through the middle; 650 g cherry tomatoes; 450 g tomatoes on the vine, halved; 1 red chilli, halved and deseeded; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp caster sugar; 150 ml double cream; 570 g jar queen chickpeas

This recipe from Ed Smith is a cross between a roast chicken and a butter chicken curry. The bird is slathered in a bright orange spiced butter, then roasted over tomatoes, which are subsequently blended into a silky sauce. This clever hack means little hands-on time and very little washing up for a delicious Sunday roast. For more easy crowd-pleasers, discover our traybake dinner recipes and roast chicken recipes perfect for Sunday dinner entertaining. Follow Ed on Instagram.

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Gluten free

Serves6
CourseMain meal
Prepare15 mins
Cook1 hr
Total time1 hr 15 mins
Plusresting

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1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp sea salt flakes
½ tsp mild chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
1½ tbsp garam masala
80g salted butter, softened
2 tbsp tomato purée
1¾kg slower reared large whole chicken
3 echalion shallots, peeled and halved
40g ginger, cut into 2-3mm slices
1 bulb garlic, halved through the middle
650g cherry tomatoes
450g tomatoes on the vine, halved
1 red chilli, halved and deseeded
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp caster sugar
150ml double cream
570g jar queen chickpeas

Preheat the oven to 240ºC, gas mark 9. Use a spice grinder or pestle and mortar to grind the fenugreek and salt to a fine powder. Mix with the other spices, then put 2 tbsp into a small bowl, setting the remainder aside. Add the softened butter and tomato purée to the small bowl and beat together.
Use your fingers to separate the skin from the breast of the chicken, working around the thighs and legs too if you can. Spread half of the butter under the skin, then plaster the rest all over the chicken.
Arrange the shallots, ginger, garlic, tomatoes and chilli over the base of a large roasting tin. Drizzle with the oil, then scatter over the sugar, a pinch of salt and the remaining spice blend. Toss to coat, then turn the tomato halves cut-side-up and sit the chicken on top. Roast in the top half of the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 210ºC, gas mark 7. Cook for a further 45 minutes, basting with the juices after 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
Transfer the chicken to a warm plate to rest for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, remove roughly half of the tomatoes from the roasting tin and set aside, then squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins into the tin (discard the skins). Transfer the remaining contents of the tin to a blender (or keep in the tin and use a hand blender) and whizz to a silky sauce. Return, with the reserved tomatoes, to the roasting tin. Stir in the cream and the chickpeas with their liquid. Return the roasting tin to the switched-off oven to keep warm, until ready to serve.
Carve the chicken into portions and serve with the sauce spooned over and sprinkled with coriander. This is delicious with rice, chapatis or naan, plus dollops of yogurt.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe