Harissa-spiced chicken with roasted cauliflower and chickpeas

Roast chicken is a family favourite recipe. This version adds a bit of spice with harissa and is diabetes friendly, gluten and dairy-free. The roasted cauliflower and chickpeas add texture and a welcome fibre boost. This roast chicken is perfect for a family of four to six people, or you can use leftovers the next day to make a tasty lunch. Shred the leftover chicken for sandwiches or make a salad.

Serves: 4-6

Time to make: 1 hr 30 mins

Hands-on time: 30 mins

Ingredients

More weights & measures

1.6kg whole chicken
2 tablespoons gluten-free harissa paste
400g can no-added-salt chickpeagarbanzoXsgarbanzosX, rinsed, drained
½ large cauliflower, cut into florets
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced
3 radishes, cut into matchsticks
120g baby spinach
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil

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Instructions

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1 Preheat oven to 220°C. Rinse chicken under cold water. Pat dry with absorbent paper. Cut along each side of chicken’s backbone and discard backbone. Turn chicken skin-side up and press down to the breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten.

2 Place chicken in a large baking dish, skin-side up with the wingtips tucked under. Rub skin with harissa paste. Arrange chickpeas around chicken. Bake for about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 180°C. Add cauliflower to dish. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until chicken is golden and cooked through.

3 Meanwhile, combine cucumber, radish, spinach, lemon juice and olive oil in a large bowl. Season with cracked black pepper. Toss to combine. Serve the chicken with the roasted cauliflower and chickpeas, and cucumber salad.

HFG tip

How to cook a whole chicken

1 Butterfly the chicken by cutting out the backbone (you can ask your butcher to do this for you). This reduces the cooking time.
2 Rub skin with seasoning (spice paste or dry spice blend). Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, if possible, to allow flavours to develop.
3 Place chicken, skin-side up on a baking tray or baking dish. Roast for 45–60 minutes, or until juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 413 cal

Kilojoules 1728 kJ

Protein 33.6 g

Total fat 24.3 g

Saturated fat 5.5 g

Carbohydrates 11.5 g

Sugar 3.6 g

Dietary fibre 6.1 g

Sodium 135 mg

Calcium 138 mg

Iron 3.5 mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.