Name: Slow-cooked shawarma chicken
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 1.5kg whole chicken; 1 large, cut into thick discs red onion; 2 tsp black peppercorns; 1 tsp cardamom pods; 1 tsp cloves; 2 tsp ground allspice; 2 tsp garlic salt; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp dried oregano; ½ tsp mild chilli powder; ½ tsp paprika; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1, juiced lemon; 2 tbsp tahini; 6 tbsp natural yogurt; 1 clove, crushed garlic; 1 juiced lemon; warmed flatbreads or pittas; pickled turnips and chillies; red onion slices; cucumber slices; tomato wedges; shredded lettuce; chilli sauce

1.5kg whole chicken
1 large, cut into thick discs red onion

SHAWARMA SPICE BLEND

2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cardamom pods
1 tsp cloves
2 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp mild chilli powder
½ tsp paprika
3 tbsp olive oil
1, juiced lemon

TAHINI SAUCE

2 tbsp tahini
6 tbsp natural yogurt
1 clove, crushed garlic
1 juiced lemon

TO SERVE

warmed flatbreads or pittas
pickled turnips and chillies
red onion slices
cucumber slices
tomato wedges
shredded lettuce
chilli sauce

Method

step 1
Grind the whole spices with a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, then mix with the rest of the spices, olive oil and lemon. Rub over the chicken (including the cavity). Marinate overnight in the fridge (take out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking) or, if short on time, leave for an hour at room temperature.
step 2
Heat the oven to 160C/140C/gas 3. Put the onions in the bottom of a roasting tin and sit the chicken on top. Cook for 21/2 hours, covering with foil if the chicken is catching (it will go dark with the spices).
step 3
Mix together all of the tahini sauce ingredients and season. Rest the chicken for 20 minutes then pull into chunks and pile onto flatbreads with the accompaniments.