Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
1 small whole Chicken
50ml extra virgin olive oil
3 large cloves of garlic, crushed or finely grated
2-3 teaspoons ground sumac
2-3 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
To serve:
1 lemon, cut in wedges
A few sprigs of thyme
Method:
Preheat the oven to 220’C
To remove the back bone of the chicken, use very sharp scissors and cut through all the way down from top to bottom. Place the chicken breast side up on your work top and using the palm of your hands flatten the chicken down. Using a sharp knife make a few slashes in the legs of the chicken.
To make the marinade, in a bowl use a whisk to mix together the olive oil, garlic, sumac and the chopped thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a shallow bowl or dish and pour the marinade over making sure it gets into every little area. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes or even covered in the fridge overnight.
To cook the chicken, place on a roasting tray with all the marinade and in to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes – 1 hr 30 minutes (the cooking time will vary greatly depending on the size of the chicken) until cooked. When cooked the legs will feel loose.
Allow the chicken to rest somewhere warm for about 15-20 minutes if possible.
When ready to eat carve the chicken in to pieces, scatter with the thyme leaves and serve with some wedges of lemon.
