Red Rice and Chicken Salad with Pomegranate and Feta
This unusual salad is full of flavour and high in fibre. Never tried red rice before? It’s a nutrient rich alternative to white rice, and it looks pretty too.
8 large chicken thighs (skin on, bone in.)
For the marinade-
2 tbsp tahini (plus 90ml for drizzling)
4 cloves garlic, finely grated or crushed
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp ground cumin
Juice of ½ lemon (cut the rest into wedges to serve)
2 tsp olive oil
The spiced lemon salad dressing-
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sumac
4 dsp olive oil
A pinch of salt
The seasoned yoghurt-
175g Greek yoghurt
1 small clove garlic, grated or crushed
Juice of ½ lemon
Pinch of salt
The salad-
2 pitta breads, toasted then split apart and toasted again.
1 little gem lettuce, shredded
1 cucumber, deseeded and finely chopped
200g cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
200g red grapes, halved
4 figs, roughly chopped
A few sprigs parsley, roughly chopped
A few sprigs of mint, roughly chopped
Ahead of time-
Season the chicken thighs and in a large mixing bowl mix 2 tbsp of tahini together with the other marinade ingredients. Coat the chicken with this mixture and leave in the fridge for at least one hour or up to four hours. You might also want to make one or both salad dressings now too.
The Chicken and tahini sauce-
Preheat the oven to 200 celsius. Arrange the chicken thighs in a roasting tin in an even layer and roast for 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear and there is no pink meat remaining. Remove the chicken from the oven and rest for at least 5 minutes before serving
Meanwhile put 90ml (6 level tbsp) tahini in a small bowl and whisk in 60-100ml of water (depending on the thickness of the tahini.) Mix it until smooth and the consistency of double cream. Season with a good pinch of salt and take to the table – this sauce is to drizzle over the chicken once it’s cooked.
The salad-
Toast the pitta breads then split in half and toast again so the bread is crisp and dry. Leave to cool then break into small, bite sized pieces.
Use a jar to make the salad dressing – put all the ingredients in and shake. Mix the ingredients for the seasoned yoghurt together in a bowl.
In a large serving bowl or platter, mix together all the salad ingredients, then add the pitta and the dressing, mixing well to serve. Bring the seasoned yoghurt to the table in its bowl to spoon over the salad.
Serve the chicken with the tahini sauce and lemon wedges, and the salad with the seasoned yoghurt. Guests can add as much or as little of the sauce to the meal as they like.
Russell and I were really impressed by this recipe, which we found in September’s Waitrose Food Magazine. It is by food writer, mum and home cook Claire Thomson whose website focuses on practical recipes for busy parents. The chicken was lovely but we were especially impressed by the salad, which I could happily have eaten for three meals in a row (I had to make do with two – I ate what should have been the children’s portion the next day because they were out when I made this.) I strongly recommend that you try this recipe while there are still ripe figs in the shops – together with the toasted pitta it gives the salad a really unusual texture which I found very moreish.
I must admit that I grew resentful of the recipe halfway through making the salad, but all was forgiven when I ate it. Be warned, it has two dressings but yes, it absolutely is worth it. Next time I plan to make the spiced lemon dressing ahead while I’m making the marinade.
Did you know that spices are good for you? And so are fresh herbs. You might think that given the tiny amounts of them which we consume in any given dish, they wouldn’t have any impact on health but in fact they widen the nutritional diversity of our diet and are a great source polyphenols. Sesame seeds, from which tahini is made, are also high in polyphenols.
Research shows polyphenols can help manage blood pressure levels and keep your blood vessels healthy and flexible, promoting good circulation. They also help reduce chronic inflammation, so they are a good food to consider if you suffer from inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. Polyphenols can also reduce and help control your blood sugar levels.
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