Persian Chicken with Jewelled Rice & Rose Harissa Yoghurt - Ainsley Harriott

Ingredients

• 1 x 1.5kg chicken, backbone removed and spatchcocked
• For the Marinade
• 1 onion, peeled and grated or finely chopped
• 6-8 cardamom pods, pods removed, and seeds crushed
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• pinch of saffron threads, ground in a pestle and mortar and soaked in 1 tbsp of hot water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp runny honey
• 150g Greek yoghurt
• juice and zest of 1 large lemon
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the Jewelled Rice
• pinch ground cinnamon
• pinch sumac
• 1 tsp pomegranate molasses
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 orange, zest and a squeeze of juice
• 500g cooked basmati rice (pre-cooked with a small pinch of saffron and cooled)
• 40g dried sour cherries or dried barberries (soaked for 10 minutes)
• 30g pistachio nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 20g flaked almonds
• seeds from 1 pomegranate
• large handful mint leaves, chopped
• ½ tsp crushed edible rose petals (optional)
• For the Rose Harissa Yoghurt
• 1 tsp rose harissa (optional)
• 6-8 fresh mint leaves, chopped