Warm salad of griddled chicken, freekeh, preserved lemon, sour cherries and mint
Even though it’s quite summery, you can serve this in the spring and autumn as well. If you’re making it in summer you can add some pitted fresh cherries, too. Make sure that the freekeh is well-seasoned and moist: as the grains sit they suck up dressing, so you may need to make some more dressing if it has been sitting for a while.
Ingrediënten
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 4 skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts
- 4 garlic cloves grated or crushed
- salt and pepper
- juice of 1 lemon
- 6 tbsp olive oil
FOR THE SALAD
- 100 g 3½oz dried sour cherries
- 1 home-made preserved lemon or 2 small commercially preserved lemons
- 200 g 7oz freekeh
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp honey
- 3 tsp white balsamic vinegar
- juice of ½ lemon
- good pinch of ground cinnamon
- leaves from 10 sprigs of mint torn
- 10 g ¼oz chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Instructies
- If you are using breasts and they’re particularly thick, cut them in half horizontally.
- Marinate the chicken if you have time (it really helps).
- Mix the garlic, seasoning, lemon juice and olive oil in a dish and lay the chicken in it.
- Turn to coat, cover with cling film and put in the fridge to marinate for a couple of hours.
- Bring it to room temperature before cooking.
- Put the cherries in a small saucepan and add enough water to just cover.
- Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and leave to plump up for 30 minutes.
- Remove the flesh from the preserved lemon and discard, then cut the rind into slivers.
- Put the freekeh into a saucepan and cover with water, adding the regular olive oil and seasoning well.
- Bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until just tender.
- Drain.
- In a small bowl, mix the virgin oil, honey, white balsamic, lemon juice, cinnamon and plenty of salt and pepper.
- Mix this dressing into the drained freekeh.
- Drain the cherries and fork them into the grains with the preserved lemon and most of the herbs.
- Heat a griddle pan until it is really hot and put the chicken on it (leave the marinade behind).
- Let it sizzle and splatter and leave it for two minutes.
- Turn the chicken over and let it cook for another two minutes.
- Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the chicken is done all the way through, another four or five minutes (it depends whether you are cooking breasts or thighs, breasts cook more quickly).
- Taste the freekeh: you might want more lemon juice.
- The mixture should be moist and well seasoned.
- Divide between four plates – or put on a platter or a broad shallow bowl – and serve the chicken on top.
- Scatter the reserved herbs over.
- I usually offer tzatziki and a green salad on the side.
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