For the marinade
For the salsa
Spatchcocking a chicken is one of my favourite ways to cook a bird. Like chicken on a spit it maximises the skin-to-grill contact, meaning more crispy chicken skin and more flavour. Here the flavour comes from spicy, grassy jalapeno chillies, fiery ginger and garlic tempered by sweet coconut and fresh coriander, made sensationally smoky and sticky in the grilling. The flavours of coconut, lime and jalapeno can be found stretching down the coastlines of Campeche and Veracruz and are astonishingly good. And joyfully, when you spatchcock are bird you are left with the bones to make a stock. Deep, aromatic flavours lifted with that vibrant, juicy mango salsa.
If you’re spatchcocking the chicken yourself, turn the chicken so it is lying breast-side down and cut along each side of the backbone with meat scissors or a strong knife, then remove the backbone. Turn over the bird and place your hands firmly across its middle, then bounce down on your hands firmly to flatten it.
Make the marinade by blitzing all the ingredients together in a blender.
Place the chicken and red onion wedges in a large bowl. Season with salt, then add the marinade and rub it all over both chicken and onions to coat generously. You can of course cook the chicken straight away but it will taste infinitely better if allowed to sit overnight.
To make the salsa, toss all the ingredients together in a bowl, then season with salt and pepper and allow to sit for half an hour to infuse.
When you’re ready to cook, light a barbecue or preheat the oven to 200°C fan (400°G/gas 7). Grill-roast or barbecue the chicken and onions for 30–35 minutes, regularly basting in the marinade until the chicken’s juices run clear and the skin is crispy and delicious-looking. Carve and serve.
