A typical Australian creation; Mexican inspired, oven-roasted, tangy, fragrant chicken, drunk on Margaritas… The chicken that is. Initially, anyway. We love doing this in Australia: cook playfully, but paying attention to all the important things of flavour, balance, presentation, originality and all that goes into creating our best result in the kitchen.
I feel a Mexican joke coming on!!!
A woman, holidaying in Mexico, jumps straight from the shower onto the toilet and being wet, sticks to it. That sucks!! She reaches first for the bathroom phone to ask for help and then for a wall-hanging sombrero and covers her lap.
In walks the hotel plumber, stares her up and down pondering a solution.
The woman: “This is embarrassing. Please tell me quickly, can you help me or not?!”
The plumber: “Oh, yes ma’am, I’m sure I can help you… But I don’t think I can do anything for your Mexican friend.”
Time to cook…
First make Margaritas for 6: Two for the chicken and one each for your guests.
Oven on to 180ºC/355ºF/Gas mark 4/Partially in the door of a woodfired oven (turning halfway through cooking)
INGREDIENTS
Two small (size 12) chickens, washed, dried and split in two
1 red onion thinly sliced
1 whole plant of coriander finely chopped
1 large red chilli sliced
3 bay leaves
Only if omitting the margarita from the recipe – juice and the squeezed halves of 2 limes
2 Tbsp/50g butter
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 Turmeric
A glug of Extra virgin olive oil (say 60ml)
1 tsp each of salt and pepper
METHOD
Tip, throw, pour, chuck everything into a baking dish, including the chickens’ drink order of two margaritas.
Place the chickens into the dish, breast and wing side up.
Cover, first with baking paper (to prevent alfoil corroding under the direct touch of chicken), then with the said alfoil. Crimp down the edges tightly.
Bake covered at 180ºC for 1 hour.
Remove paper and foil, baste chickens with vegetables and juices, and return to cook for a further 20 minutes.
Serve half a chicken and a whole margarita per person.
