Touran Chicken

(serves four)

Ingredients

• 2 small chickens
• 3 Tbsp salt
• 3 onions, peeled & sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
• ½ tsp freshly milled black pepper
• ½ tsp saffron
• ¼ tsp ground cardamom
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 2 Tbsp red colouring, powdered
• ½cup rice bran oil
• 8 mini pita breads, warmed
• 4 limes, warmed in microwave
• 4 Tbsp thick greek yoghurt
• ¼ cup pistachios, lightly toasted

Method

1. Clean the chickens, removing the wish bones and whacking the ends off the drumsticks, rub them with salt inside and out, refrigerate for one hour.

2. Put the onions and garlic into a shallow casserole dish big enough to hold both chickens.

3. Mix all spices together.

4. Take the chickens out of the fridge, wash them, pat dry and rub them with the spice mixture inside and out.

5. Put them on top of the onions, breast side up.

6. Pour in 2 cups of water, bring to the boil, cover and cook until the birds are very tender. The water will evaporate. Remove from the heat and add the olive oil.

7. Transfer to a pre-heated 230oC oven, and crispen the skin and colour the chicken

8. Pull the meat from chicken, mix with the onion, lime juice and fill the pita pockets and yoghurt, scatter with pistachios.