The Cookbook

Another winner from the Australian’s Women’s Weekly, this chicken chermoulla is fast to make and the collection of flavours is stunning.

I used chicken breasts instead of thighs, simply because I can’t get thigh fillets locally and I can’t be bothered to bone them myself. I also added a bit of spicy harissa sauce on top. Maybe my cayenne is just not very spicy but the dish would have been to mild without the additional hot sauce.

The original recipe is featured on their site here: http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=42997

Chicken Chermoulla

Serving size: Serves 4
Cuisine type: Mediterranean
Cooking time: Less than 30 minutes
Course: Main

INGREDIENTS

700g chicken thigh fillets, sliced thinly
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 medium red onion (170g), chopped finely
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup (200g) red lentils
2½ cups (625ml) chicken stock
200g baby spinach leaves
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander
½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/3 cup (95g) yogurt

Chermoulla is a Moroccan blend of herbs and spices traditionally used for preserving or seasoning meat and fish. We used our chermoulla blend here as a quick baste for chicken, but you can also make it for use as a sauce or marinade.

METHOD

Combine chicken, parsley, rind, juice, spices, onion and half of the oil in large bowl. Heat wok or large frying pan; stir-fry chicken mixture, in batches, until chicken is browned and cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine lentils and stock in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 8 minutes or until just tender; drain. Place lentils in large bowl with spinach, coriander, mint and combined vinegar and remaining oil; toss gently to combine.

Serve chicken mixture on lentil mixture; drizzle with yogurt.