The inspiration for this chicken dish came from Brad Leone in the July 2020 issue of Bon Appétit magazine. You will need to plan ahead if you want to make this, as the chicken spends 8 hours in the fridge, absorbing a dry rub of black and pink peppercorns. I cut the backbone out of the chicken (Spatchcock is the technical term for this) using poultry shears, so that it would lay flat and roast faster. This is something you can ask the butcher to do, if you’re squeamish about handling raw chicken.

I have never cooked with pink peppercorns before and I was shocked at how much they added to the flavour of the chicken. They are more floral than spicy and they add a delicate, fruity note. The dry brining also gives the skin a chance to air dry, resulting in the crispiest skin after roasting.

The original recipe was done on the BBQ, but I roasted mine in the oven. Before putting the chicken in the roasting pan, I made a bed of peeled halved shallots and lemon wedges to keep the chicken off the bottom of the roasting pan, so that it would roast and not steam in its own juices. Plus, they helped to flavour the chicken.

While the chicken is roasting, I prepared a glaze to be brushed on the chicken during the last 15 minutes of oven time. The glaze is perfectly balanced in terms of flavour. Honey and maple syrup add sweetness , jalapeño peppers add heat, pink peppercorns add a floral note and champagne vinegar adds acidity.

I served it with some wedge roasted potatoes and a green salad. Even though we are just 2 at home now, I still love to make a whole roasted chicken. it’s great to have leftovers the next day.