Thai roast chicken with mango & apple salad

Ingredients

For the chicken

·         3 shallots, halved

·         2 small red chillies, deseeded, half roughly chopped and half finely chopped

·         zest and juice 1 lime

·         thumb-length piece of fresh root ginger, finely grated

·         2 tsp sunflower oil

·         2 chicken breasts, skin on

For the salad

·         1 red-skinned apple, cut into matchsticks

·         ½ mango, peeled and cut into matchsticks

·         ½ small bunch mint, leaves picked

·         3 spring onions, sliced

·         small bunch coriander, leaves picked

·         ½ tsp fish sauce, plus a splash

·         ¼ tsp caster sugar

Method

1.   Whizz the shallots in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the roughly chopped chilli, ¾ of the ginger and all the lime zest, then whizz to a chunky paste. Tip into a frying pan with 1 tsp oil and some seasoning, then fry for a couple of mins until fragrant.

2.   Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Release the skin from the chicken breasts along one side, and stuff with spicy shallot stuffing. Can be done up to a day ahead. Season the skin, then roast in a roasting tin for 15-20 mins until golden, crisp and cooked through. Meanwhile, make the rice (see right).

3.   Toss together the apple, mango, mint,spring onions and half the coriander. Mix the fish sauce, caster sugar, remaining ginger and lime juice, then set aside.

4.   When the chicken is ready, remove it to a plate to rest. Sit the roasting tin on the hob. Spoon off any excess fat, then gently heat, adding the remaining lime juice and a splash more fish sauce, scraping up the chicken juices to make a sauce. Chop the remaining coriander, then stir into the sauce with the finely chopped chilli. Toss the salad with the dressing, then serve with the chicken, sauce and sticky rice.