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Ever since I ate roast chicken with saffron aioli and roast potato wedges in Catalonia (yonks ago), variations on this theme have been one of my favourite Sunday lunches. This is a Mexican spin on the idea.
As you’re making a stuffing and also aioli, it’s fair enough to use a jarred paste. The best I’ve found – sweet and tobacco-y – is Gran Luchito Chipotle Chilli Paste.
Timings
Prep time: 30 minutes, plus marinating time
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Serves
6
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- juice and finely grated zest of 2 limes
- 3 tsp dried Mexican oregano (or use fresh thyme leaves)
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 whole chicken (about 1.8kg)
For the stuffing
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 200g coarse sourdough or cornbread breadcrumbs
- 3 roast peppers (from a jar is fine), roughly chopped
- 1 small egg, lightly beaten
- ½ green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
For the aioli
- 2 small garlic cloves, chopped
- flaked sea salt
- 2 egg yolks
- smidgen of Dijon mustard
- 250ml fruity (not bitter) extra-virgin olive oil
- about 1 tsp white-wine vinegar, or to taste
- 3 tsp smoked chilli paste (such as Gran Luchito), or to taste
- lemon or lime juice, if needed
Method
- Mix together the olive oil, lime juice and zest, oregano (or thyme) and garlic for the chicken. Spread all over the bird, lifting the skin off the breast and pushing some of the mixture in there, too. Place in a dish, cover and marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours. Remove from the fridge about 15 minutes before roasting.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/190C fan/gas mark 6.
- For the stuffing, heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the spring onions and garlic over a medium-low heat until just beginning to soften.
- In a bowl, mix this with the breadcrumbs, peppers, egg and chilli, and season. Stuff the chicken with the mixture. Set in a roasting tin and roast for 1 hour 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the aioli. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic and a pinch of salt to a purée.
- Transfer to a bowl and add the yolks and Dijon mustard.
- Using a wooden spoon or an electric beater, add the olive oil a little at a time, stirring or beating constantly, adding more only when the previous lot has been incorporated. As the mixture begins to thicken, you can add the oil faster.
- Add the white-wine vinegar. Stir in the chilli paste to taste. You may need a drop of lemon or lime juice, some salt or a little more vinegar.
- Serve with the chicken and some roast potato wedges, or a leafy avocado salad.