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Spiced Marinated Chicken with Squash and Glazed Onions

⏱ 80 min in total🔪 10 min prep🍳 70 min cooking🍽 6 portiesMedium
Spiced Marinated Chicken with Squash and Glazed Onions

The marinade is made in a mortar, not out of a packet: cumin, fennel seeds, a clove and peppercorns are freshly crushed, then orange zest, thyme, rosemary, smoked paprika, balsamic vinegar and — this sounds odd and it works — ketchup go in. The ketchup brings sweetness and acidity at once and makes the skin glossy and dark as it bakes.

With it, butternut squash roasted in its skin and small onions braised soft in caramel and white wine.

Important for the skin: the chicken bakes for an hour covered, so it stays juicy — but the last 15 to 20 minutes without foil. Otherwise it cooks through but never takes any colour.

Ingredients

Measurements
🍽 6 servings
  • 1 chicken of 1.5 kg, spatchcocked — serves 6
  • 1 tbsp cumin seeds, for the marinade
  • 2 tbsp fennel seeds, for the marinade
  • 1 clove, for the marinade
  • 2 tsp sea salt, for the marinade
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns, for the marinade
  • 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped, for the marinade
  • 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped, for the marinade
  • Zest of 1 orange, for the marinade
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped (optional, for the marinade)
  • 4 tsp sweet smoked paprika, for the marinade
  • 8 tbsp olive oil, for the marinade
  • 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar, for the marinade
  • 150 ml ketchup, for the marinade
  • 10 bay leaves, for the marinade
  • 2 tbsp white sugar, for the onions
  • 1 tbsp water, for the onions
  • 1 tbsp butter, for the onions
  • 2 bay leaves, for the onions
  • 500 g small onions or shallots
  • 60 ml white wine (1/4 cup), for the onions
  • Sea salt and black pepper, to taste, for the onions
  • 500 g butternut squash
  • Olive oil, as needed, for the squash
  • 1 tbsp white sugar, for the squash
  • Salt and pepper, to taste, for the squash
  • Sprigs of fresh thyme, to decorate

Method

  1. 1

    The mortar paste (marinade): in a mortar, grind the cumin seeds, the fennel seeds, the clove, the sea salt and the black peppercorns to an aromatic powder. Tip it into a bowl and mix it energetically with the rest of the marinade ingredients (herbs, zest, garlic, paprika, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, ketchup and the 10 bay leaves).

  2. 2

    Baking the chicken: coat the spatchcocked chicken all over with the marinade. Put it in a roasting dish, cover it with aluminium foil and bake at a moderate 180 °C for 1 hour.

  3. 3

    The colour: take the foil off and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, now uncovered, until the skin is dark and glossy. Without this step the chicken is cooked but pale: the ketchup and the balsamic vinegar in the marinade need direct heat to glaze. Let it rest for a few minutes before jointing.

  4. 4

    The base of the glaze: for the onions, put the 2 tablespoons of sugar with the tablespoon of water in a pan over medium heat. When it starts to caramelise and takes on a light golden tone, add the tablespoon of butter and the 2 bay leaves.

  5. 5

    Cooking the onions: add the small onions, whole and peeled, and the white wine to the pan. Season, turn the heat to its lowest, cover and cook for 20 minutes until they are tender and caramelised.

  6. 6

    Roasting the squash: wash the butternut squash well and cut it, skin on, into wedges or thick slices. Lay them on a clean tray, drizzle with a thread of olive oil, salt and pepper and scatter the tablespoon of sugar over the top. Bake at a hot 200 °C until they are golden, tender and just catching at the edges.

  7. 7

    Serving: serve the hot chicken pieces with the roasted squash wedges and the rustic glazed onions. Decorate the platter with sprigs of fresh thyme.