CityLife

Roast chicken with pomegranate, mint and coriander in Greek yoghurt

ASIAN TOUCH: Roast chicken with pomegranate

I HAVE developed this new dish – roast chicken with pomegranate, mint and coriander in Greek yoghurt – especially for this Manchester Evening News series because I wanted to suggest something that is just as easy to prepare as any British meal.

And the ingredients can be bought anywhere. – whether you are English or Asian.

Everyone knows roast chicken. It is a standard Western classic – but here we are giving it an Asian touch to turn it into something special.

It now becomes a fine dining dish that is bound to become a signature part of Payal’s menu choice when we cater for private parties at home or for weddings.

Weddings are particularly appropriate as the pomegranate is an ancient symbol of romance, marriage and fertility going back to Greek and Persian mythology. 

The juice is also a well known – if expensive – health drink.

In India the pomegranate is a native fruit. It is also one of the best things about the winter season.

And it plays a leading role in making this meal look so good.

For when the chicken is roasted, lay the carved slices on a bed of yoghurt sauce and you can sprinkle with a final dash of extra pomegranate seeds along with fresh mint and coriander.

Serve this dish with basmati rice.

Ingredients (serves four)
1 medium size whole chicken
500g Greek yoghurt
2 large pomegranates – seeds only
100g butter
A bunch fresh coriander – leaves only and finely chopped
A bunch of fresh mint – again, leaves only and finely chopped
Cooking salt – to taste
Freshly ground black pepper – to taste
Extra virgin olive oil

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 200C (gas mark 5).
 In a mixing bowl combine the yoghurt with the coriander and half of the mint. Season well with salt and pepper. Stir in the pomegranate seeds – but only superficially so they stay more on the surface and you can appreciate their colour. Then set aside.
Stuff the chicken with the butter and most of the remaining mint.
Place in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, place in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes.
You want the meat to remain juicy but not pink – so, after 10 minutes or so, baste with the juices in the tin.
When it’s cooked serve with the juices and the yoghurt-pomegranate sauce.
Sprinkle with a few remaining pomegranate seeds, mint and coriander leaves and serve with basmati rice.