Food
Lyndey Milan's spiced chicken with blood orange and date salad
Preparation time
15 minutes
Cooking time
14 minutes
Serves
4
White drinkers can head straight for modern Australian Chardonnay or a restrained Viognier with this chicken salad. Make sure the wine is refined yet punchy with a really bright acidity or if you prefer a red, opt for a fragrant Pinot.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 chicken breasts, skin-on
- 1 tsp ground cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp hot paprika
- ½ tsp fine salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 125ml approx. chicken stock or water
Salad
- 2 baby cos lettuce hearts, leaves separated, washed and dried
- 2 blood oranges, peeled, segmented, juice squeezed from remains and reserved
- 6 medjool dates, seeded and cut into slivers
- ¼ cup (30g) pecans, halves and pieces, toasted
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves
Dressing
- Reserved orange juice
- 2 tbsp (40ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ tbsp mild honey
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
METHOD
- Rub the chicken all over with combined spices, salt and pepper
- Heat oil in a large frying pan with lid over medium high heat. Place chicken skin side down and cook until golden, approx. 4 minutes. Turn and place skin-side up. Add garlic to the pan and when breasts are browned, add enough stock or water to come half-way up the chicken breast. Bring to the boil, cover loosely and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 10 minutes then remove lid, remove from heat, but leave chicken in the stock to cool.
- For the dressing: mix all the ingredients together.
- Arrange the lettuce on 4 plates. Place the orange and date slices over the lettuce. Drizzle with dressing. Carve chicken into thick slices and place on top, sprinkle with garlic, pecans and coriander leaves and serve immediately.