This wonderfully simple recipe stars a new arrival at Spice Mountain, Lemon Pyramid Salt from Cyprus. This must be one of the best salts we have ever sourced, the flavour strong yet subtle, natural and packed with lemon tang, with the most beautiful yellow colour. It also retains its crisp, flaky texture when used for roasting. Here we use it to season roast chicken in a dish which is perfect for Spring suppers served alongside a crispy salad and a nice crunchy baguette. The secret in the recipe is the simplicity and quality of the ingredients, as much as cooking skill, so this is a great recipe for those new to the kitchen to attempt.

01.

Ingredients

1 top quality chicken, jointed
12 cloves garlic, unpeeled
10g lemon pyramid salt
4tsp dried tarragon
olive oil
pepper

02.

Method

  • Pour a generous slug of olive oil and some water in a roasting tray, to a depth of about an inch. Add the garlic cloves, then lay the jointed chicken skin side up in the tray. Pour a little more olive oil over the chicken, then season with the salt, tarragon and pepper.
  • Place in an oven preheated to 180d and cook for an hour or so, basting the chicken occasionally. When the chicken is thoroughly cooked, take the tray from the oven and remove the chicken to let it rest.
  • The roasting juices left in the tray are your gravy – squeeze the caramelised garlic from the skins, add another drop of water and on a medium flame, bring the gravy to the boil, stirring all the time, getting all the caramelised bits from the edges of the tray if you can. Transfer the gravy to a jug, and your chicken is ready to serve!