Oven-roasted Chicken with Sumac, Pomegranate Molasses, Chilli and Sesame Seeds

This is an ideal chicken dish for an outdoor summer party. However, I favour cooking it in the oven because the marinade is apt to burn on a barbecue. I did it a couple of months ago at my holiday house by the water in Mollymook, NSW. I kept the heat low to avoid too much blackening but I needed to be at the barbie then, rather than chatting. Sumac is Turkey’s favourite spice. It’s a red berry with an astringent, lemony flavour, the fruit of a small bush. It’s the sort of dish that’s idea as part of a warm and cold buffet where people have a bit of everything including a rice pilaf.