Chicken, orzo and kale salad with za’atar lemon vinaigrette

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 cup dried orzo (risoni)
2 cups frozen peas
1 bunch curly kale
3-4 Tbls lemon juice (1-2 juicy lemons)
4 + 2 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated on a microplane
Salt & pepper
500g chicken breast
¼ cup chicken stock
1.5 Tbls. za’atar
1 cup parmiggiano reggiano, shaved using a vegetable peeler or purchased
2 Tbls. pure cream

Method:

Set a medium sized pot of salted water on to boil. When boiling, add the orzo and cook for 5 minutes. Add the frozen peas in for the last 30 seconds of cooking and then drain both together and rinse for a couple of seconds under cold running water just to stop the cooking.

Strip the kale from the stem and chop into bite sized pieces. Add to a mixing bowl. In another small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, cream and garlic. Pour this over the kale with a good pinch of salt and some black pepper and massage it into the kale to soften it. Set this aside.

Heat a large pan over medium heat. Season the chicken breast with salt on both sides. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the hot pan and swirl it around to coat the pan. Add your chicken and cook on each side for about 5-6 minutes, depending on its thickness. Turn the heat down if you feel it’s getting too dark before it is cooking through. Use a temperature probe in the thickest part of the breast to ensure it’s done. I think 67-69C is a perfect done-ness for chicken breast. Remove them from the pan and aside on your chopping board to rest for at least 5 minutes.

In the same pan that you just cooked your chicken in, turn the heat off and add the orzo, peas and ¼ cup chicken stock. The residual heat of the pan should still be high enough that it will bubble up and unstick all the delicious brown bits in the pan that the chicken left behind. If it doesn’t, just turn it on again for a few minutes.

Combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl (except the chicken) including zaatar and the parmesan and toss together. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.

Slice the chicken breast and serve on top of the salad. I think its best served at this temperature which is just slightly warm but it is also delicious packed away and served cold.