SPATCHCOCK OF CHICKEN WITH SRIRACHA AND MAPLE

By cutting your chicken like this you will get a very juicy and evenly cooked chicken on the bbq.  In the supermarkets and butcher shops you can easily find the chickens prepared like this.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1.5kg spatchcocked chicken

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup sriracha chilli sauce

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ tsp black peppercorns, crushed

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp oil

Salt

Salsa

1 large cucumber

2 cobs fresh corn, or 1 cup corn kernels

1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Handful fresh parsley, mint and basil leaves, roughly chopped

Salt and cracked pepper

Method

Marinate the prepared chicken if possible the night before by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl and massage all over the chicken.  Chill until required.

To cook the chicken heat the barbecue up to hot and place the chicken skin side down.  You need to watch the chicken as the skin will colour very quickly because of the marinade.  After 5 minutes carefully turn it over and continue cooking for 10 minutes, basting it regularly with leftover marinade.

Whilst the chicken is cooking, cook the peeled corn cobs so you get lightly charred corn kernels.  This should take 5 minutes. Remove and cool.

Check the chicken and turn once again and cook for a further 5-10 minutes.  

To prepare the salsa, peel the cucumber into long strips using a potato peeler.  Peel until you reach the seeds and turn around and continue until the cucumber is done.

Place the cucumber in a bowl, add the ginger, garlic, lemon juice, oil and all the herbs.  Cut the corn kernels off the corn by running a sharp knife down the side of the cob. Add this to the salsa, season with salt and a little cracked pepper.  Toss to combine.

Once the chicken is cooked and rested for 5 minutes or so.  Cut the chicken into pieces and serve with this deliciously refreshing salsa.