Looking for a knockout main for your weekend dinner table or over Easter ? Award -winning food writer Melissa Thompson shares five delightful dishes, from glorious slow- cooked roast mutton ( punchier than lamb and more seasonal) to a mountain of ar tichokes, sizzling aromatic bream and make -ahead crab and chard quiche – ever y one a winner

FOOD STYLING EMILY GUSSIN AND POLLYANNA COUPLAND

PHOTOGRAPHS TOM SHINGLER

Ginger garlic chicken with broccoli and sesame chilli sauce

“This is so good – salty soy sauce acts as a brine here, keeping the chicken juicy and adding flavour. The roasted broccoli crisps up beautifully, while the sesame chilli sauce adds oomph”

Ginger garlic chicken with broccoli and sesame chilli sauce

Serves 6

Hands-on time 20 min, plus 2 hours marinating

Simmering time 20 min

Oven time 45-55 min

• 100ml light soy sauce

• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 100ml chicken stock

• 100ml shaoxing wine, plus 4 tbsp for the glaze

• 2 tsp chinese five-spice powder

• 80g ginger, grated

• 1 garlic bulb, cloves chopped

• 3 tsp granulated sugar

• 1 large free-range chicken (about 1.5kg)

• 2 broccoli, quartered

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 tsp vegetable oil

• Toasted sesame seeds to sprinkle

• 2 spring onions, finely sliced diagonally

• 1 red chilli, finely sliced diagonally

• Cooked rice to serve

For the sauce

• 2 tbsp tahini

• 2-3 tsp chilli oil or to taste (we used chiu chow chilli oil – to make your own, search deliciousmagazine.co.uk)

• 1 tsp granulated sugar

• 1 tsp chinkiang black vinegar (from Asian stores or Amazon) – if you can’t find it, use balsamic vinegar

1 Add the soy sauces, stock, shaoxing wine, five -spice, ginger, garlic and 2 tsp of the sugar to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

2 Spatchcock the chicken by using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife to cut down either side of the backbone (save the backbone in the freezer for stock). Turn the chicken breastside up and press against the breastbone to flatten. Score the breasts twice and legs once, cutting through the skin into the flesh, then put the chicken in a deep tray or dish. Strain the cooled soy sauce mix ture through a fine sieve over the chicken, ensuring it goes into the slashes and spooning it into any nooks, crannies or pockets on both sides of the bird (discard the solids). Cover and keep in the fridge for 2 hours.