Roast chicken with mojo rojo, almonds and fried lettuce by Niklas Ekstedt

Ingredients

serves 4
1 large chicken or 4 poussins of 350 g
200 ml water
1 tbsp chicken stock
1 red chilli
2 shallots, peeled
2 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ bulb of fennel
100 ml olive oil
2 bay leaves
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 grilled red peppers
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
5 tbsp almond flour
4 little gem lettuces
3 tbsp coarsely chopped almonds
sea salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 225°C.
2. Rub the chicken with salt.
3. Place the chicken in an ovenproof dish and put in the oven for 20 minutes.
4. Reduce the heat to 175°C, pour the water and chicken stock over the chicken and continue to cook until the interior temperature is 70°C. Takes about 30 minutes.
5. Baste the chicken every 5 minutes.
6. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving it.
7. Deseed the chilli.
8. Chop the chilli, shallots, garlic and fennel. Place in a saucepan with olive oil, bay leaves and fennel seeds.
9. Cook until soft over a medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
10. Add the pepper and sherry vinegar and mix until smooth in a blender or with a stick blender.
11. Add the almond flour and allow to swell for 30 minutes.
12. Cut the lettuces in two and rinse then allow to drip dry.
13. Fry cut side down over a high heat.
14. Serve the fried lettuce with roast chicken and paprika sauce.

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