Grilled lemon chicken with fattoush

Fattoush is a traditional Middle Eastern salad – vibrant, fresh and lovely, with the crunch of toasted Lebanese bread.

SERVES 4 PREP AND COOK TIME 40 MINUTES (+ MARINATING TIME)

¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon chilli powder

2 teaspoons ground sumac

4 cloves garlic, crushed grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

8 chicken thigh fillets, pounded to flatten

½ cup (140g) Greek-style yoghurt

2 tablespoons harissa paste, optional lemon wedges, to serve

FATTOUSH

2 rounds Lebanese bread

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 teaspoon ground sumac

2 (260g) Lebanese cucumbers, seeded, chopped finely

250g ripe cherry tomatoes, halved

(or 3 ripe tomatoes, seeded, chopped)

½ bunch radish, sliced thinly

1 medium (200g) green capsicum, chopped finely

1 small (100g) red onion, chopped finely ½ bunch mint, leaves picked ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

1 In a large snap-lock bag, place all the ingredients except for the lemon juice, yoghurt, harissa and lemon wedges. Seal and squish the bag around to make sure all the ingredients are well combined and the chicken is coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.

2 Heat a grill pan or barbecue over a medium to high heat. Cook the chicken about 10 to 15 minutes or until there are char marks on both sides and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a plate; season with salt. Cover with foil to keep warm.

3 FATTOUSH Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Brush the bread evenly with oil, sprinkle with sumac and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8 minutes or until crisp; cool then break into large pieces. Combine the vegetables and herbs in a large bowl. For the dressing, whisk reserved lemon juice and oil together in a small bowl; season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep separate until serving.

4 Just before serving, drizzle the dressing over the salad mixture; toss well. Season to taste. Add bread; toss gently. Serve salad and chicken with combined yoghurt and harissa, if you like, and lemon wedges. Uncooked marinated chicken suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.