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Telegraph

Griddled yogurt-marinated chicken with bulgur wheat and sour cherries

This is inspired by a Georgian recipe. Sour cherries, lots of soft herbs, bulgur, yogurt and pomegranate molasses are key ingredients there at this time of year. If you aren't going to serve the bulgur immediately, hold back the herbs. Any meat you cook after marinating it in yogurt can burn easily, so you have to adjust the heat, reducing it or turning it up as you need to. The yogurt really tenderises and flavours the meat. Overview Prep time 25 mins Cook time 25 mins Serves 6 Ingredients For the chicken 8 chicken thigh fillets 300g Greek yogurt ¾ tsp ground cayenne 1¼ tsp ground cumin 2 garlic cloves, grated to a purée 2 tbsp olive oil finely grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½ For the bulgur 70g dried sour cherries about 100ml fresh apple juice, or as needed 200g bulgur wheat 250ml stock, or boiling water 70g pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped (keep them chunky) 2 spring onions, finely chopped 20g flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped 20g mint, leaves picked and chopped 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses 1 tbsp honey juice of ½ lemon 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground cumin 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Method Step Put 8 chicken thigh fillets on one side of a large sheet of baking parchment. Fold the other side of the parchment over the top. Step Bash the chicken pieces with a rolling pin until they are of an even thickness. Step In a large dish or bowl, mix together 300g Greek yogurt, ¾ tsp ground cayenne, 1¼ tsp ground cumin, 2 garlic cloves grated to a purée, 2 tbsp olive oil, and the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and juice of ½. Step Add the meat to the bowl, turning it over to coat fully. Step Season, cover with cling film and put it in the fridge to chill. Leave the chicken to marinate for anything from 2 hours to overnight. Step Put 70g dried sour cherries into a small saucepan and add enough fresh apple juice (about 100ml) to cover. Step Bring it to the boil then pull off the heat and leave the cherries to plump up for 20 minutes. Step Meanwhile, put 200g bulgur wheat and ¼ tsp salt in a medium bowl and pour over 250ml stock or boiling water. Step Cover the bowl with cling film and leave for about 20 minutes. Step Remove the cling film and, using a fork, fluff up the wheat to separate the grains. Season. Step Add the sour cherries with their juice, 70g toasted and roughly chopped pistachios, 2 finely chopped spring onions and 20g each of chopped flat-leaf parsley and mint, then toss to mix. Step Put the 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses, 1 tbsp honey, juice of ½ lemon, 1 tsp each of ground cinnamon and ground cumin and 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil into a small jug and whisk everything together. Step Pour this on to the grain salad and mix well. Cover. It will be served at room temperature. Step Put an ovenproof dish into the oven at a low heat (160C/150C fan/gas mark 3 is fine). Step Heat a griddle pan until very hot – if you sprinkle on some water it should sizzle. Step Shake the excess marinade off each piece of chicken and cook them on the dry griddle pan, cooking as many as you can at one time and putting the pieces into the dish in the oven as soon as they're ready (about 5 minuted on each side – they must be cooked through). Step Arrange the chicken on a warmed platter and serve with the bulgur.