Alby Hailes’ Sumac Yoghurt Chicken, Focaccia and pistachio, lime & raspberry cake recipes

Sumac yoghurt chicken with orange tabbouleh & green olive hummus. Photo / Aaron McLean

Great Kiwi Bakeoff 2021 winner Alby Hailes’ cookbook, Good Vibes, is all about celebrating cooking with veg-forward ingredients and knockout flavours. Here’s a taster of his feel-good food.

Chilli, basil and olive overnight focaccia. Photo / Aaron McLean

Chilli, basil & olive overnight focaccia

Makes 1 large rectangular loaf

This no-knead focaccia could not be easier: mix (using instant dried yeast), put in the fridge, and the dough does the work overnight!

450g high grade flour

1 sachet (8g) instant dried yeast

10g sea salt

2 tsp chilli flakes

2 tsp dried basil

50g pitted kalamata olives, drained and finely chopped

100ml olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Coarse sea salt, to sprinkle

1. Place the flour, yeast and salt in a large bowl, ensuring the salt is not touching the yeast. Pour in 410ml cold water and mix with your hands to form a relatively wet dough (no kneading required). Add chilli flakes, basil, olives and 50ml olive oil, and mix through until just combined. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours, up to 24.

2. Generously oil a rectangular baking tin (about 33cm x 23cm) with olive oil. Remove dough from the fridge and bring the edges into the centre to deflate it. Tip into baking tin, folded side underneath, and using your hands, press out the corners of the dough, gently stretching to cover most of the base of the tin. Cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place for about 2½ hours, until doubled in size. While the dough is proving, mix the remaining 50ml olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Infuse for 2 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 200C fan-forced. Drizzle the garlic oil (including the garlic) evenly over dough. Use your fingers to press dimples all over the dough, reaching the bottom of the tin so oil pools in them. Sprinkle generously with coarse salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Drizzle with extra olive oil, and remove from the tin, using a spatula if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sumac yoghurt chicken with orange tabbouleh & green olive hummus. Photo / Aaron McLean

Sumac yoghurt chicken with orange tabbouleh & green olive hummus

Serves 4 as a main

This combines elements that are excellent together but versatile on their own. Oranges bring a jewel-like quality to the tabbouleh and lend it some sweetness.

Sumac yoghurt chicken

280g unsweetened natural yoghurt

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh oregano

1 Tbsp ground sumac

½ tsp each ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground chilli, cracked black pepper

1 tsp sea salt

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 lemon, finely grated zest and juice

1kg boneless chicken thigh fillets, fat trimmed

Orange tabbouleh

100g fine or medium bulgur wheat

1 extra-large bunch (100g) flatleaf parsley, leaves picked, plus extra to serve

20g mint leaves

1 spring onion, finely chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 lemon, finely grated zest and juice

85ml olive oil

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp cracked black pepper

2 large oranges

Green olive hummus

400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

½ lemon, juice only

12 green pitted olives

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

4 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp tahini

1 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp honey

Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

To serve: 2 Tbsp toasted pine nuts, handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1. Place all the sumac yoghurt chicken ingredients, except the chicken, in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight). Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking.

2. Preheat oven to 170C fan-forced. Line a large roasting dish with baking paper. Transfer the chicken and marinade to the roasting dish and bake for 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

3. While the chicken is cooking, make the orange tabbouleh. If using fine bulgur, place in a fine sieve and rinse under cold water several times until the water runs reasonably clear. Drain, transfer to a bowl and fluff up with a fork. If using medium bulgur, place in a bowl, cover with boiling water and soak for 10-15 minutes until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain and fluff up with a fork.

4. Finely chop parsley and mint leaves and add to the bulgur wheat, along with spring onion, shallot, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Finely grate the zest of one orange and add to the tabbouleh. Cut the skin and white pith off the oranges, then cut out the segments and toss through the tabbouleh. Set aside.

4. For the green olive hummus, place all the ingredients and 4 tablespoons cold water in a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth.

5. To finish the chicken, turn the oven to the grill function and grill the chicken for 5-10 minutes, until starting to brown a little on top. Set aside for 5 minutes then transfer to a chopping board and cut into slices.

5. Serve the chicken warm with orange tabbouleh, green olive hummus, toasted pine nuts and some extra chopped parsley.

Pistachio, lime and raspberry cake. Photo / Aaron McLean

Pistachio, lime & raspberry cake

Makes one large rectangular cake

This is the king of all party cakes. It’s easy, looks spectacular, appeals to young and old, and is moist and flavour-packed. Swiss meringue buttercream is always worth the effort.

Cake batter

150g pistachio kernels

300g plain flour

300g caster sugar

1½ tsp baking powder

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

¼ tsp sea salt

200g sour cream

125ml canola oil

3 eggs

3 limes, finely grated zest and juice

150g frozen raspberries

Raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream

75g frozen raspberries

100g egg whites (about 3)

150g caster sugar

250g butter, at room temperature, cut into 3cm cubes

To decorate

Pistachio kernels, roasted and roughly chopped

Finely grated lime zest

1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced. Grease a baking tin (about 33cm x 23cm) and line with baking paper.

2. Blitz the pistachios in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl and add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and whisk until combined. Make a well in the centre and add sour cream, oil, eggs, lime zest and juice. Whisk until well combined. Carefully pour 250ml boiling water into the batter and whisk until smooth. Pour into the prepared tin and sprinkle over frozen raspberries.

3. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into centre of the cake comes out clean. Place on a wire rack and leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes before carefully transferring to a serving board.

4. For the raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream, place raspberries in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, mashing with a spoon. Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool completely.

5. Place egg whites and caster sugar in a large stand mixer bowl. Set over a saucepan half-filled with simmering water, ensuring water is not touching the base of the bowl. Gently heat egg whites and sugar, whisking with a wire whisk occasionally, until the egg whites are very warm and the sugar has dissolved.

6. Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed for 5-7 minutes, until the meringue is stiff and the mixing bowl has cooled to room temperature. While continuing to whisk on high, add the butter one cube at a time, mixing to combine after each addition. Continue until all the butter has been added and you are left with a silky-smooth buttercream. Gently mix the raspberry purée into the buttercream until combined.

6. Spread the buttercream over the cooled cake and sprinkle generously with the pistachios and lime zest. Slice and serve immediately. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Edited extract from Good Vibes by Alby Hailes (HarperCollins NZ, HB, RRP $55). Photography by Aaron McLean.