CHICKEN CHARMOULA

Steps:

• Dry-fry (temper) the cumin and coriander seeds for 30-60 seconds in a small frying pan over medium heat.
• Once the seeds smell toasty and begin to brown, immediately remove from the heat. Then pound them together using a pestle and mortar.
• Put the onion, garlic and chopped herbs in a food processor along with the toasted spices, ginger and paprika. Blitz until the mixture looks reasonably smooth.
• Scrape the mixture into a bowl and add the chopped olives and preserved lemon.
• Stir in a bit of olive oil to slacken the mixture further to a paste. Season to taste with cayenne, salt and pepper.
• Slash the chicken in several places to allow the flavours to penetrate.
• Slap the paste all over the chicken, pressing it into the slashes. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but overnight if you can.
• Remove the chicken from the fridge and leave to stand for about 30 minutes to allow it to come back to room temperature before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F
• Place the chicken in a roasting pan and roast for 30-35 minutes, or until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced to the centre with a fork.
• To make the yoghurt sauce, slacken the yoghurt with the milk, then stir in the remaining ingredients.