Persian Saffron And Mint Chicken With Spring Couscous
A really pretty dish. Change the couscous according to what you have (even using fresh cherries when they’re in season instead of dried ones). It just has to be fresh and green, so keep plenty of herbs in it. You can also use the marinade for whole chickens or poussins instead of thighs.
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- about ¼ tsp saffron stamens
- juice of 2 lemons and finely grated zest of 1
- 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 2 red chillies deseeded and roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- leaves from 1 small bunch of mint
- 8 skinless boneless chicken thighs
FOR THE COUSCOUS
- 20 g ¾oz dried sour cherries
- 200 g 7oz wholemeal couscous
- 200 ml 7fl oz boiling chicken stock or water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove crushed
- juice of ½ lemon and finely grated zest of 1
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp each chopped flat-leaf parsley and mint leaves
- 2 spring onions trimmed and finely chopped
- 25 g 1oz pistachios, chopped
- handful of pea shoots or other small salad leaves
FOR THE YOGURT SAUCE
- 200 g 7oz Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small garlic clove grated
- microleaves such as amaranth, or 3 radishes, julienned
Instructions
- For the chicken, put the saffron and lemon juice in a small pan, heat gently and stir to help the saffron stamens dissolve.
- Remove from the heat and mix with the zest, garlic, chillies and olive oil.
- Tear the mint leaves into the pan.
- Put the chicken thighs into a broad, shallow non-reactive dish and pour the marinade over.
- Turn them over to make sure they get completely coated, then cover with cling film and put in the fridge to marinate.
- Leave for about 30 minutes.
- At the same time, pour boiling water over the cherries for the couscous and leave them to plump up for 30 minutes.
- Sprinkle the couscous into a bowl, pour over the stock or water and the olive oil.
- Leave for 15 minutes.
- Fork it through to separate the grains, then add the garlic, lemon juice and zest, extra virgin oil, salt and pepper.
- Stir in the herbs, spring onions, pistachios, pea shoots and drained cherries.
- To make the yogurt sauce, mix the yogurt with the extra virgin oil and garlic and place in a serving dish.
- Sprinkle the microleaves or radish matchsticks on top.
- Heat a griddle pan until it is really hot.
- Lift the chicken out of the marinade and griddle it (you will have to do it in two batches if your pan is small), turning frequently.
- You want to get a good dark golden colour on each side.
- Make sure the chicken is cooked (cut into the underside to check: the juices should run clear with no trace of pink).
- Serve it with the couscous and yogurt sauce.
