Moroccan Chicken with Orange and Mint Salsa

Chicken: Cut the poussin in half by cutting either side of the back bone and discarding. Turn the poussin over and cut through the breast bone to give two halves. Carefully cut out the rib cage and any loose bones. Trim off the wing tips.

Marinade: Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to a paste.

Rub the chicken with the marinade, cover and leave for 2 hours or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Take out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 180 ̊C.

Put the poussin in a shallow baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add ½ a cup of water to the dish and roast the poussin for about 40 minutes, basting occasionally as they cook. Add a little more water if necessary. When cooked, the juices from the poussin should run clear when they are pierced with a skewer. Cover lightly and rest for 15 minutes.

Salsa: Peel the oranges with a knife, taking off all the white pith. Hold the fruit over a bowl to catch the juice and cut the orange segments from between the membrane. Squeeze out the juice from the membrane. Whisk the olive oil, honey and mint into the juice, season and combine with the olives and orange segments.

To serve: Pile the poussin on a serving platter and spoon over the salsa. 

Poussin: a small, immature chicken four to six weeks old, sometimes called a spring chicken, and weighing about 400g to 500g. Available from good butchers and gourmet stores.

Menu: Serve with Smoked Fish Skordalia and Roasted Olives, and Israeli Couscous and Parsley Salad.