Grilled Chicken with Freekeh and a Big Herb Salad

Why it works

The yogurt marinade is doing chemistry rather than flavour alone. Its acidity and calcium activate enzymes in the meat that tenderise it, and the protein and lactose brown far faster than a plain oil marinade, so you get a proper crust in the time it takes the inside to cook. Freekeh is green durum wheat harvested young and roasted, which gives it smoke and a protein content higher than most grains, along with more fiber than brown rice. The herbs are the vegetable here, used by the handful the way they are in Levantine cooking: parsley, mint, and dill in that quantity contribute meaningful vitamin K, folate, and polyphenols rather than being decorative. Chicken thigh over breast is deliberate, since it stays edible after a night in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 600 g boneless chicken thighs
• 150 g plain yogurt
• 2 tsp sumac, plus more to finish
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 200 g freekeh
• A large bunch each of parsley, mint, and dill, roughly chopped
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 200 g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp lemon juice, for the salad

Method

1. Mix the yogurt, sumac, garlic, and cumin, coat the chicken, and leave it for at least thirty minutes or overnight in the fridge.
2. Simmer the freekeh in plenty of salted water for 20 minutes until tender with a bite, then drain well.
3. Heat a grill or griddle pan until properly hot. Wipe most of the marinade off the chicken, or it will burn before the inside cooks, and grill for six to seven minutes a side until charred in places and cooked through.
4. Toss the herbs, cucumber, and tomatoes with the olive oil and lemon. Dress it at the last moment.
5. Rest the chicken for five minutes, slice, and serve over the freekeh with the salad and another pinch of sumac.