Did you see The Perfect… column in Sunday Life magazine on the weekend? It was one of my favourites so far. Cooking for the in-laws can be fraught with too-much-effort and disappointment. Instead, showcase domestic know-how and culinary spark when the in-laws are in town. It’s about being relaxed and remarkable. How to impress with minimal fuss. I made this three times to test the recipe, and while it’s hard to keep thinking something is delicious even though you’ve eaten it for three meals in seven days, this one was. The pomegranates give a bursty tart crunch, and the spatchcock are not fiddly and are gorgeous wrapped in these spices. Just serve with couscous and a simple do-ahead eggplant salad.
Pomegranate roasted spatchcock
Tart and sweet roasted spatchcock, infused with Middle Eastern spices and scattered with jewel-like pomegranate seeds and almonds.
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
1 garlic clove, sliced
4 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 spatchcock, butterflied
¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
seeds from 1 pomegranate
To make marinade, place all ingredients except spatchcock, almonds and pomegranate in a bowl, mix well and season. Add spatchcock to marinade and turn to coat well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 200C. Heat a little oil in a roasting pan over medium-high heat, add spatchcock (reserving marinade) skin-side down to lightly brown. Baste spatchcock with marinade and cook in oven skin-side up, until tender and juices run clear (15-20 minutes). Serve halved on a large platter, with cous cous if liked, sprinkled with almonds and pomegranate seeds. Serves 4-6.
Spiced eggplant salad
A do-ahead, fragrant and soft eggplant salad with punches of mint.
Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large frying pan and fry 3 eggplant cut into 2cm thick slices in batches, until very soft and golden brown on both sides. Add more oil as needed. Drain on paper towel and season well, sprinkle with 1 tsp ground cumin. Arrange warm eggplant on serving plate, scattered with 1 large tomato, finely chopped, and 1 cup mint leaves. Drizzle with dressing made with 2 tbsp yoghurt, 1 tbsp tahini, juice of ½ lemon. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds if liked.
Photograph by Katie Quinn Davies.
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The gritty blues of Ruth Brown in Miss Rhythm makes for a dreamy backdrop, to suit all tastes. How can you not love this?
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