Rocket and Orange salad with Grilled Five Spice Chicken

 

A few days ago one of my friends asked me to toss up and share the recipe for a good salad that spelt winter. She is one of the people who have followed and encouraged my blog since I started a couple of months (three actually) ago and I had to keep her request. 

In fact, I had visualised this salad as and while I was speaking to her, promising her to share a recipe soon. She said winter and she uttered salad and images of luscious oranges, green rocket and, well....meat. It's crazy how I always want meat in my salad. I think it has something to do with my unnatural aversion for healthy everything. 

Anyway, so this is a simple salad with orange and rocket leaves and some grilled chicken. I have used a vinaigrette, a pretty simple one. Just a  little honey, mustard and orange juice. I had thought of tossing in some fresh parsley but decided against it at the last moment. However, its the chicken which gives the twist to the salad. Chicken marinated with some orange juice, garlic and five spice powder. Now I was initially a little apprehensive whether five spice and Dijon Mustard would go together...but they hit it off right from the word go. As for rocket. they are my favourite salad greens, I don't do salad without those in. 

This recipe however is more of an idea. I think salads should be an informal affair. Something you could toss up while sipping on some wine and listening to Adele (I am currently in Adelle mode, in fact Rolling in the deep playing right now) without a care. Although this one is not exactly the toss up and go deal, still I wanted to leave the space for you to do it your way, just how you like it. Pour in as much or as little of each ingredient as you wan, to give yourself a salad just like you like it. What I can vouch for is the combination of flavours. 

Hope you guys like the recipe and please let me know how you find it if and when you toss it up.

Making the chicken

Boneless chicken  

Garlic paste

Orange juice

Honey  

Salt

Paprika

Five spice powder

Oil

Method

Marinate the chicken with the above ingredients and keep aside for about half an hour.

Pre heat oven at 200 degree centigrade and grill the chicken at the same temperature for 25-30 minutes.  If you don’t want to use the oven, grill the chicken on a griddle.

Keep the chicken aside, juices intact.

 

For the dressing

Ingredients

Orange juice

Honey

Dijon Mustard

Garlic paste

Red wine vinegar

Salt to taste

Method

Blend the honey, Dijon mustard and garlic paste well.

Add the orange juice, red wine vinegar, salt, beat and blend well.

 

 

For the salad

Ingredients

Rocket leaves

Orange (pips removed)

Salt and pepper 

Getting it together

Break the chicken pieces with your fingers into smaller pieces. Toss in the rocket leaves, oranges into the chicken (the juices and all) and toss well. Ladle in some dressing or serve it on the side. This one’s one helluva salad!

  

 

PS: Be careful with the oranges. Check how they taste before you jump into the act. Go easy with the orange juice too, you want the flavour, but you don’t want the salad to be too acidic.  

Turkish touch: Sumac flavoured chicken

 

          The myriad hues of shimmering Turkish lamps, the sheen of silk, the intricate embroideries on satin spreads, antique kilims and rare carpets, turquoise and gold, the heady whiff of Turkish coffee, pleading invitations of shopkeepers, the joy of striking a bargain, the excitement, the epiphanies – the Grand Bazaar is like a bewitched maze in a fairytale land. Easy to get lost, only you will be more than willing to lose yourself. I had reserved an entire day for the Grand Bazaar, the last day of my holiday, and I am glad I did. But the one thing that was on my mind all the while were the peaks and mounds and shelves-full of spices – paprika, Iranian saffron, cinnamon, mixed spices and my favourite Sumac. And that's where my heart was all the while as I browsed through souvenirs and ceramics and shoes and bags.

          I checked out quite a few spice shops and finally decided that the best sumac was available at the second shop I had tried. The next half an hour or so was spent in finding it out. Quite an ordeal figuring out when you have 4000 shops to navigate through. But I did and had my sumac wrapped and yes I bargained and did strike a deal. Trust me I have a way with words. And no I am not exactly known for modesty. But the way, talking about this particular charmer of a shopkeeper. If you thought the Italians were the flirts, visit Turkey. And they do not even discriminate.

          So, I had my sumac safe in my bag. Coming to what sumac is, it is a tangy, lemony spice, a deep red powder that smells heavenly, used in Middle Eastern cooking.  It basically comes from sumac berries which are dried and ground. And it is delicious. Commonly, it is used in salads and even sprinkled on dips. It’s used in meat too. And ever since I had put that plastic wrapped spicy goodness in my bag, I have been itching to cook with it.

          And I did. Now, I am probably expected to share traditional Turkish recipes which I have come back with. But come on you can get them on other sites, so before I share the ones I got back from the trip, I planned to share my very own recipe with a Turkish twist. I have used flavours essentially Turkish and I think You will love it.

Ingredients

Chicken (boneless) –   I kg

Garlic paste: 2 tbsp

Grated ginger – 4 tbsp

Chopped parsley – ½ cup  

Sumac – 2 tbsp

Red chili powder – 1tbsp 

Cumin powder – 1 tbsp

Cinnamon powder – ¾ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – ¼ cup

Method

Marinade the chicken pieces with grated ginger, garlic paste, sumac, red chili powder, cumin powder, cinnamon powder, parsley and salt. Keep for 2 hours.  

Heat oil and add the chicken pieces. On high heat sear the chicken pieces laced with the marinade. Remove and transfer into a baking tray.

Preheat oven at 200 degree centigrade.   Grill the chicken pieces for 30 minutes, turning over the pieces once mid way.

Once done, line the chicken pieces on a tray and pour the juices over.