LEMON CHICKEN SALAD WITH SPICY COUSCOUS

Adapted from a recipe featured on BBC’s Food and Drink

Serves 2

2 large chicken breast fillets
1 lemon (unwaxed)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp. lemon oil
25g/1oz unsalted butter
1 or 2 red chillies, seeded (if you don’t want too much heat) and finely diced
1 tsp. ground coriander
4 spring onions, finely diced
450ml/three quarter pint chicken stock (usually 1 stock cube)
250g/9oz couscous
2 tbsp. Japanese pickled ginger, finely chopped
grated rind and juice of 1 lime
2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
3 tbsp. chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp. sunflower oil
salt and freshly ground white pepper

Remove the skin and sinew from the chicken breasts and pull off the breast fillets. Cut all the meat on the diagonal into very thin slices across the grain.

Place in a non-metallic bowl and pare over the lemon rind, then add half the garlic and lemon oil. Add a pinch of salt and give about twelve turns of the pepper mill. Stir to combine, cover with Clingfilm and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Melt the butter in a large pan and add the remaining garlic, the chili and coriander seeds. Cook for 1 minute, stirring and then add the spring onions and stock. Bring to the boil and season to taste, then pour in the couscous in a thin steady stream, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon until the stock is absorbed.

Add the pickled ginger and lime rind and mix well to combine. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside for 5 minutes, fluffing up with a fork half way through to help the grains swell up. Add the tomatoes, olive oil, lime juice and fresh coriander, stir well again and cover with Clingfilm. Set aside for up to six hours.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan until very hot. Add the sunflower oil and flash fry the chicken until tender and lightly caramelised. Add the juice of half a lemon then tip out on to kitchen paper to drain. The couscous can be reheated in a microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, just make sure you puncture the Clingfilm first. Place a pile in the centre of each the serving plate and scatter around the chicken.

Cover with salad leaves dressed with the olive oil and juice of half a lemon if desired.