Honey-Cumin Rotisserie Chicken with Butternut Squash, Apricots and Olives

This is the kind of rotisserie chicken that stops people in their tracks. A punchy honey-cumin marinade, the gentle caramel of butternut squash, sweet apricots and briny olives — it's a brilliant combination that works beautifully on the rotisserie over indirect heat. The slow rotation bastes the bird continuously in its own juices, giving you gloriously crisp skin and succulent meat all the way through. Give yourself a couple of hours and you'll be rewarded handsomely.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1 whole roasting chicken, neck and giblets removed (approx. 1.5–2kg)
• 6 large garlic cloves, halved
• 1½ tsp fine sea salt

For the marinade

• 120ml sherry vinegar
• 110g honey
• 60ml fresh orange juice
• 3 tbsp ground cumin

Method

1. Make small incisions all over the chicken and push a piece of garlic into each one. Season the bird all over with the fine sea salt.
2. Whisk together the sherry vinegar, honey, orange juice and cumin in a bowl until well combined. Set aside a few tablespoons of the marinade in a separate container before it touches the raw chicken — you'll use this for basting later.
3. Place the chicken in a large dish or zip-lock bag and pour over the remaining marinade. Turn to coat thoroughly, then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight for the best flavour.
4. When you're ready to cook, remove the chicken from the fridge and allow it to come up towards room temperature for 30 minutes while you prepare your rotisserie.
5. Set up your BBQ for indirect heat and preheat to around 180–190°C. Skewer the chicken securely on the rotisserie rod, trussing the legs and wings tightly so nothing catches. Balance is important — an unevenly loaded spit will strain the motor.
6. Mount the rotisserie and cook over indirect heat for approximately 1 hour 20–50 minutes for a 1.5kg bird (longer for a larger bird). During the last 20 minutes, baste with the reserved clean marinade every 5–10 minutes to build up a gorgeous glaze on the skin.
7. The chicken is done when a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (away from the bone) reads 75°C. Remove from the rotisserie and rest loosely covered with foil for 10–15 minutes before carving.
8. While the chicken rests, you can roast diced butternut squash, dried apricots and olives in a hot oven or alongside the bird to serve. Season with a little salt and a drizzle of olive oil.

Originally published by Bull BBQ. Adapted for UK audiences by Cedar Kitchen in the Garden.