Chicken with West African spices, curry leaf carrots: Ottolenghi's Christmas feast - recipes

When it comes to strict Christmas food traditions, I have very few. There are, however, principles to which I return each year. One is to make sure the side dishes are always elegant enough that the central bird doesn't overpower the perch. Also, I'm not fond of an abundance of thick, traditional brown gravy to hold the meal together. Without it, in my opinion, there is room for a host of other more delicious and exciting ingredients to attend the party. And that's how it should be, right? Everyone was welcome.

Spicy Yaji Spice Chicken with Parsnips (top photo)

The inspiration for this comes from the yaji spice blend from West Africa, which is traditionally used to make skewers of suya, a popular street food. I swapped the usual peanut cake accompaniment for roasted peanuts and the selim pepper for the more readily available dried green peppercorns. If you've never done this before, don't be intimidated by spatchcocking chicken (there are plenty of instructional videos online: watch one and go for it, or have a butcher do it for you). If you want to make ahead, marinate the chicken and make the peanut crumble the day before. And above all, swap the chicken for a festive turkey; however, it will take much longer to cook, so cover it with plenty of foil so the marinade doesn't burn.

Preparation 15-20 minCooking 1 hour 15 mins Serves 4- 6

1 large chicken (2kg), stems removed – retain backbone2 onions, peeled, halved, then each half cut into 3 wedges1 bulb d garlic, cloves separated and peeled650g parsnips, halved lengthwise, then halved crosswise 500ml chicken stock 2tsp plain flour 2⅔tsp 10g parsley leaves, finely chopped ginger2¼ tsp smoked paprika2½ tsp sea salt

For the peanut crumble100g salted roasted peanuts¼ tsp smoked paprika½ tsp garlic powder¾ tsp ground cayenne pepper¾ tsp aster sugar

< p class="dcr-18sg7f2">Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7.

Make the marinade first. Place the first seven ingredients in a food processor and blend until the nuts are the size of couscous grains. Add the butter, lemon zest and juice, and a teaspoon of salt, and pulse until well blended.

Add the brisket gravy side up on a board, rub the spiced butter mix under the skin (be gentle so it doesn't tear), then spread the rest all over the outside of the poultry.

< p class="dcr-18sg7f2">Place reserved backbone, onions, garlic, parsnips, broth and a teaspoon of salt in a large, high-sided baking dish and place a wire rack over it. Place the chicken skin side up on the grill, then roast for 55 minutes, until browned and dark in spots. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, place all the ingredients for the peanut crumble in the large bowl of a food processor with a quarter of a teaspoon coffee salt, mix until the nuts are the size of couscous grains, then pour them into a bowl.

Lift the chicken from its grid and place Put it on a platter, discard the backbone, then transfer the roasted parsnips and half the onions to a plate. Carefully pour the juice from the tray, remaining onions and garlic into a large pitcher, then return the parsnip-onion mixture to the tray. Turn on the grill to its highest setting, then grill the parsnip mixture, turning occasionally, for seven to 10 minutes, until browned and lightly charred in spots; keep a close eye on it, so it doesn't snag and burn.

Meanwhile, put a small saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in three tablespoons of fat which will now have reached the top of the juice jug. Stir in the flour and cook for two or three minutes, until it begins to smell slightly nutty. Stir...