When Melissa was a teenager her parents took her to Tenerife. She won’t lie, they were all quite bored. And then they fell upon their very special potatoes, cooked in salty water – even seawater – until the liquid has all but evaporated leaving a sparkly sediment on their skin. It was served with a very simple roast chicken, all of which Melissa recreated here. It’s a celebration of great produce, fire and excellent Maldon Salt – when the foundations are this good, you need little else.
Here is how to make Salt-roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Canarian Mojo Rojo
- Spatchcock your chicken by standing it up and holding with one hand, and using the other to cut down either side of the backbone to remove the back. You can also use meat scissors. Save the back to make a stock.
- In a tray, lay the chicken breast-side down and pour over 1.5tbsp of oil. Rub it all over, and then sprinkle with 1.5tbsp Maldon Garlic Sea Salt. flip the chicken over and do the same to the other side. Leave to rest while setting up the barbecue.
- Light a full chimney of coals and zone your Weber Master-Touch 5750 Charcoal Barbecue, pouring the coals on just one side of the grate.
- Lay the chicken indirect, away from the coals. Put the onions directly in the coals and lay the red peppers on the grate, over the coals. Close the lid. Half-close the bottom vents and leave the top vents mostly open – you’re aiming for a temperature of between 160-180C.
- Boil the potatoes in heavily salted water on a fast boil until a sharp knife goes easily into them and then drain. Drizzle with a little bit of oil and put on the grill, directly over the coals. Move them around every 5 minutes until they colour and then push to the indirect side.
- Once the onions are soft when pressed, and the peppers blackened all over, remove from the heat. Once cool enough to handle, peel them and remove the seeds from the peppers. Add to a blender with the remaining mojo rojo ingredients and a pinch of Maldon Smoked Sea Salt flakes and blitz until smooth.
- Flip the chicken after 30 minutes. After another 15 minutes, move over to the direct side, skin-side down, to crisp up the skin. Flip once more, and probe the chicken at its thickest point – once it reads 70C internal, remove to a tray to rest.
- After 10 minutes, carve the chicken and serve with the mojo rojo in a big bowl and the potatoes on the side.
