Thankfully we are going to have some sunny days this summer, and if the wind subsides we can at last make use of the barbecue. This fragrant grill makes use of your whole chicken and the refreshingly minty tabbouleh perfectly compliments the heat in the chicken’s spice rub.

Spatchcocking is a means of ‘flattening’ the bird so as to more easily cook it over charcoal. Keeping the chicken in one piece not only look s the biz, it also helps to prevent the meat from drying out.

How do you spatchcock? Take a sharp kitchen knife or shears and cut from the parson’s nose down the backbone to the neck opening. Turn the bird to have breastbone uppermost and with one hand on top of the other press down until you hear it break. Score the skin between leg and breast and pull the legs back into a knock knee-ed position, skewer to hold flat.

Ingredients - serves 6

1.8kg chicken
3 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp ras-al-hanout
salt

tabbouleh:
200g cracked wheat (burghul)
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cucumber, diced
8 spring onions, thinly sliced
4 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp olive oil
50g chopped parsley
50g chopped mint
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Spatchcock the chicken. Mix together the olive oil and spice blend and rub over the chicken. Cover an chill for an hour before grilling. Sprinkle salt over the skin and barbecue, turning regularly, for about 1 1/2 hours until completely cooked through. Ras-al-hanout spice blend contains a combination of spices and herbs, it has some heat, and imparts more of a fragrant flavour from the spices we associate with sweet cookery - cinnamon, ginger, mace, cloves and allspice.

Meanwhile make the salad. Place the burghul in a large bowl with sufficient water for it to be well covered and leave to stand for 20 minutes. Test to make sure it has plumped up and has softened and if not leave a few minutes longer. Once tender, drain and squeeze out excess water.

Fold the chopped tomatoes, spring onions, cucumber and herbs into the cracked wheat. Add
seasoning to the burghul, olive oil and lemon juice, taste and adjust if necessary. Refrigerate for about an hour before serving. The salad will be quite green, cool, fresh flavoured and with some crunch from the cucumber.

Joint the chicken and serve with some tabbouleh over crisp lettuce leaves.