Annie Bell's Sticky Chicken Strips with Spicy Spelt Pilaf
Over a year ago
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Ingredients
- 1tbsp olive oil
- 1tbsp lemon juice
- 1tbsp runny honey
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed to a paste
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 level tsp sea salt
- 4 small skinless chicken breasts, 130g-150g each
- 3tbsp groundnut or vegetable oil
- 4 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cinammon stick
- 8 cardamom pods, bruised
- 4 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 thick pieces lemon rind
- 250g pearled spelt grains, rinsed
- 450ml chicken stock or water
- 1tsp sea salt
- 50g roasted cashew nuts
- coriander and mint leaves
Accompaniment
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Description
Gloriously caramelised chicken served with tangily flavoursome grains.
Method
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1
FOR THE CHICKEN:
1. Whisk together all the ingredients except for the chicken in a large bowl.
2. Slice the chicken breasts diagonally, 1cm thick, add the strips to the bowl and coat with the marinade. Heat a large nonstick frying pan over a medium-low heat (if the heat is any higher the sugars will burn before the chicken has cooked through). Sear the chicken strips in batches on both sides, spaced well apart, for 3-4 minutes or until golden, firm when pressed and cooked through. They will get stickier and more caramelised with each batch.
FOR THE SPICY SPELT PILAF:
1. Heat the oil in a medium-size pan over a medium heat, add the shallots, spices, bay leaves and lemon zest and fry for 3-5 minutes until lightly coloured, stirring frequently. Stir in the spelt, add the stock and salt, bring to the boil, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface initially, and simmer for 17 minutes until the liquid has been almost completely absorbed.
2. Clamp on a lid, turn off the heat and leave for 20 minutes. It’s not a bad idea to fish out the cardamom pods and cloves and other aromatics. Fluff up the pilaf with a fork. It’s quite good-natured and if you leave it a little longer it won’t come to any harm. Fold in the nuts and serve scattered with coriander and mint.
Chef's Tips
COOK’S TIP For a side dish, vary this basic method with other flavourings. Place rinsed spelt in a pan with double its volume of water or stock, and add your choice of seasonings and aromatics. Simmer, cover and leave to stand as above, then fluff up with a fork.
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