Cumin & lemon chicken with Persian chop salad

Name: Cumin & lemon chicken with Persian chop salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 3 unwaxed lemon; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp fine salt; 530 grams chicken legs; 2 preserved lemon; 6 clove/s garlic clove; 2 tsp sumac; 2 tbsp clear honey; 90 grams butter; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 1 the levantine table 2 handstretched flatbreads; 1 cucumber; 350 grams classic vine tomatoes; 400 grams chickpeas; 0.5 red onion; 1 tsp fine salt; 2 tbsp zaatar; 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses; 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 25 grams mint

Prep: 15 minsCook: 1 hr 15 mins

Prep

15 mins

Cook

1 hr 15 mins

Servings

Difficulty

Hard

Nut-FreeEgg-Free

(0)

This is one of my favorite weeknight dinners because it comes together in just 90 minutes and feels far more impressive than the effort required. Tender chicken legs are rubbed with warming cumin and bright lemon, then roasted until golden, while a vibrant Persian chop salad loaded with fresh herbs, chickpeas, and pomegranate molasses provides the perfect counterpoint. The chickpeas in this salad are packed with fiber and protein, making it genuinely nourishing alongside the succulent chicken. Best of all, most of these ingredients are pantry staples, so you can pull together an elegant, restaurant quality meal without a trip to specialty shops.

Ella x

Ingredients

Servings:

3unwaxed lemon(unwaxed lemons)
2 tspground cumin
2 tspfine salt
530 gramschicken legs
2preserved lemon(small preserved lemons, deseeded)
6 clove/sgarlic clove( large cloves garlic)
2 tspsumac
2 tbspclear honey
90 gramsbutter(softened)
1 tbspcumin seeds
1the levantine table 2 handstretched flatbreads(Handstretched flatbreads, to serve )
1cucumber
350 gramsclassic vine tomatoes
400 gramschickpeas(can chickpeas in water, drained)
½red onion(finely diced)
1 tspfine salt
2 tbspzaatar
2 tbsppomegranate molasses
3 tbspextra virgin olive oil
25 gramsmint(leaves only, finely chopped)

Detail level

Instructions

1
Finely grate 2 tsp zest from the lemons, then squeeze their juice, to give 4 tbsp. Cut 6 thin slices from the third lemon. In a jug, whisk the lemon juice, ground cumin and salt into a brine. Slash the chicken legs 3-4 times each in the fleshiest parts, then place in a large deep roasting tray. Pour over the lemony brine, using your fingers to get it deep into all the grooves and slits. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes (or in the fridge if longer).
2
Meanwhile, in a small blender, whizz the preserved lemons, garlic, sumac and honey into a smooth paste. Empty into a bowl, then use a fork to mash in the soft butter and lemon zest, until you have a smooth mix.
3
Preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Shake off the chicken pieces so the brine is in the bottom of the tray and the slashed fleshy parts on top. Smear the lemon-garlic butter all over the chicken, getting it deep into the grooves and slits. Sprinkle with the cumin seeds, place a lemon slice on top of each, then roast for 1 hours-1 hour 15 minutes, basting every 15 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown, cooked through and tender with no pink meat and juices that run clear. Cover with foil if it’s browning too quickly.
4
For the salad, halve and deseed the cucumber using a teaspoon (save these for smoothies), then chop into half-moons and add to a large bowl. Deseed the tomatoes, chop into pieces, then add to the bowl. Add the chickpeas and red onion, the salt and the zaatar. Mix well, then pour over the pomegranate molasses and extra virgin olive oil, then stir through the mint.
5
Serve the chicken with the chopped salad, a ladle of buttery roasting tin juices, and some flatbreads.

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