Tandoori Chicken

Pat the chicken legs dry with kitchen paper. With a sharp knife, cut 2–3 deep slashes, about 1 cm deep, into the thickest part of each leg, down to the bone where you can. The cuts let the marinade reach the middle of the meat and help the legs cook through evenly. Rub a generous pinch of salt into the meat and into the cuts, and leave it while you make the marinade.

• chicken1 kg
• saltto taste

Grate the ginger finely and crush the garlic to a paste. In a large bowl, mix them with the yoghurt, the lemon juice, the garam masala, paprika, turmeric, cumin and oil until smooth and evenly coloured. The marinade should be thick enough to cling to the meat rather than run off. Taste a tiny amount: it should taste well spiced and fairly salty, since it flavours the whole piece.

• yoghurt200 g
• lemon juice3 tbsp
• ginger20 g
• garlic5 cloves
• garam masala2 tsp
• paprika2 tsp
• turmeric1 tsp
• cumin1 tsp
• vegetable oil2 tbsp

Add the chicken to the bowl and turn the legs until they are well coated, working the marinade into the cuts with your fingers. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight, and for no more than 12 hours, as the acid will start to make the meat mushy. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking, so that it is not ice-cold when it goes into the oven.

• chicken1 kg

Heat the oven to 220 °C. Set the legs on a wire rack over a baking tray, leaving the excess marinade behind, so that the heat reaches all sides. Roast in the upper half of the oven for 30–35 minutes, turning once halfway, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear. The thickest part of the meat should reach 75 °C, checked with a probe.

• chicken1 kg

Switch the oven to its highest grill setting, or heat the grill to 250 °C. Slice the onion into thin rings. Grill the chicken for 4–6 minutes, 10 cm below the heat, turning once, until the edges blister and char in places. Watch closely, as the yoghurt coating can scorch quickly. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes and serve with the onion rings and lemon wedges.

• onion1
• lemon1