Vine Leaf Wrapped Chicken with Red Rice and a Tahini Yoghurt Sauce

Rice: Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion, garlic and rosemary and cook until soft. Stir in the allspice, cinnamon and zests, add the rice and stir to coat. Add the stock and salt and bring to the boil. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook for 50 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir through the figs and chilli. Cool.

Chicken: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Stuff each poussin with the rice, or if using marylands lay these skin side down and cover half of each piece with rice. Fold the chicken over to cover. Brush the chicken with butter and season. Wrap each piece in 3 vine leaves, then wrap tightly in a double thickness of baking paper to form a parcel. Tie securely with string. Place in a roasting tin, seam side up, and cook the marylands for 35 minutes and the poussin for 50 minutes. Rest for 10 minutes.

Sauce: Whisk the sauce ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.

To serve: Remove the string and paper and place the chicken on a platter. Serve with the tahini sauce. Serves 4

Red Camargue Rice: An unpolished medium grain rice grown in the salty marshes of the Camargue in the South of France.
Available in specialty food stores or see page 144 to order.
Vine leaves: Used for wrapping food in the Eastern
Mediterranean and Middle East, fresh vine leaves can be
blanched in boiling water until pliable, before use. Preserved
vine leaves in brine are available in jars or tins