Herby bulgur salad with pomegranate and grilled chicken thighs

Name: Herby bulgur salad with pomegranate and grilled chicken thighs
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Israeli and Mediterranean
Ingredients: 280 g Boneless skinless chicken thighs (pargiyot) (3 skinless boneless chicken thighs (pargiyot), prepared by a kosher butcher); 120 g Fine bulgur wheat (60 g dried per person); 180 g Water (180 ml boiling water); 90 g Lemon (¾ lemon, about 35 g juice; first grate the zest of the whole lemon for the chicken); 5 g Garlic (1 clove, grated); 1.5 g Ground cumin (½ tsp); 2 g Sweet paprika (1 level tsp); 0.5 g Ground black pepper (2 pinches); 35 g Extra virgin olive oil (10 g for the chicken, 25 g for the dressing); 6 g Fine salt (2 g for the bulgur, 2 g for the chicken, 2 g for the onion and dressing); 30 g Red onions (¼ small onion); 3 g Sumac (1 tsp: 2 g on the onion, 1 g to serve); 15 g Pomegranate molasses (¾ tbsp); 160 g Cucumbers (1 small cucumber); 200 g Pomegranates (1 small pomegranate, or ⅔ of a 300 g pomegranate, giving about 100 g seeds); 40 g Flat-leaf parsley (a little less than half a bunch, washed, checked and chopped); 15 g Fresh mint (leaves from half a bunch, washed and checked); 20 g Shelled unsalted pistachios (roughly chopped; or pine nuts toasted in a dry pan)

meat light lunch · Israeli and Mediterranean · 2/5 · easy · 35 min, including 25 hands-on

Fine bulgur dressed while warm, in the style of tabbouleh, with plenty of parsley and mint, sumac-marinated red onion, pomegranate, pistachios and grilled chicken thighs seasoned with garlic and paprika, brought together with a lemon and pomegranate molasses dressing.

Ingredients for two

280 g	Boneless skinless chicken thighs (pargiyot) 3 skinless boneless chicken thighs (pargiyot), prepared by a kosher butcher
120 g	Fine bulgur wheat 60 g dried per person
180 g	Water 180 ml boiling water
90 g	Lemon ¾ lemon, about 35 g juice; first grate the zest of the whole lemon for the chicken
5 g	Garlic 1 clove, grated
1.5 g	Ground cumin ½ tsp
2 g	Sweet paprika 1 level tsp
0.5 g	Ground black pepper 2 pinches
35 g	Extra virgin olive oil 10 g for the chicken, 25 g for the dressing
6 g	Fine salt 2 g for the bulgur, 2 g for the chicken, 2 g for the onion and dressing
30 g	Red onions ¼ small onion
3 g	Sumac 1 tsp: 2 g on the onion, 1 g to serve
15 g	Pomegranate molasses ¾ tbsp
160 g	Cucumbers 1 small cucumber
200 g	Pomegranates 1 small pomegranate, or ⅔ of a 300 g pomegranate, giving about 100 g seeds
40 g	Flat-leaf parsley a little less than half a bunch, washed, checked and chopped
15 g	Fresh mint leaves from half a bunch, washed and checked
20 g	Shelled unsalted pistachios roughly chopped; or pine nuts toasted in a dry pan

Method

Bring 180 g water to the boil in the kettle. Put the fine bulgur and 2 g salt in a mixing bowl, pour over the boiling water, cover with a plate and leave to swell for 10 minutes: all the water should be absorbed and the grains should yield to the bite without crunching.
Meanwhile, grate the zest of the whole lemon into a bowl, add the grated garlic, cumin, paprika, pepper, 10 g oil and 2 g salt, and turn the chicken thighs in the mixture. Marinate for 10 minutes, or overnight in the fridge. Slice the onion very thinly and put in a second bowl with the juice of ¾ lemon, about 35 g, 2 g sumac and 2 g salt: after 10 minutes it will turn pink and mellow, and its juices will form the base of the dressing.
Cut the cucumber into 1 cm dice. Remove the pomegranate seeds over a bowl, giving about 100 g, discarding the white membranes. Chop the parsley and mint; if packing to take away, leave the mint leaves whole (see tips). Roughly chop the pistachios. Lift the onion out of its juices with a fork and whisk the juices with the pomegranate molasses and 25 g oil until the dressing thickens slightly.
Fluff the bulgur with a fork, immediately pour over half the dressing and mix: the still-warm grains will absorb it. Leave to cool a little, uncovered. Taste: it should have a full, lemony flavour and be well salted.
Heat a 26 cm frying pan over a medium-high heat for 2 minutes without letting it smoke. Shake off excess marinade, lay the chicken thighs flat in a single layer and leave undisturbed for 4–5 minutes: the undersides should be well browned and release easily. Reduce to a medium heat if the base browns too quickly, as the garlic and paprika would blacken and become bitter. Turn and cook for another 4–5 minutes: the juices should run clear and a probe inserted into the thickest part should read 75°C. Rest on a board for 3 minutes, then slice into 1 cm strips.
Mix the cucumber, onion, herbs and remaining dressing into the bulgur, top with the chicken, pomegranate and pistachios and finish with a pinch of sumac (1 g). Divide between two shallow bowls, or two containers following the packing instructions in the tips.

On your plate

Recipe

749 kcal · protein 40 g · carbs 68 g · fat 31 g

Quantities per person

140 g Boneless skinless chicken thighs (pargiyot)
60 g Fine bulgur wheat
90 g Water
45 g Lemon
2.5 g Garlic
0.75 g Ground cumin
1 g Sweet paprika
0.25 g Ground black pepper
17.5 g Extra virgin olive oil
3 g Fine salt
15 g Red onions
1.5 g Sumac
7.5 g Pomegranate molasses
80 g Cucumbers
100 g Pomegranates
20 g Flat-leaf parsley
7.5 g Fresh mint
10 g Shelled unsalted pistachios

Cooking tips

To take away, pack the dressed bulgur and chicken together. Keep the cucumber, onion, pomegranate and parsley in a separate compartment without dressing; the remaining dressing in a small sealed jar; the pistachios in a bag or dry compartment; and the whole mint leaves wrapped in damp kitchen paper. When ready to eat, tear the mint, pour over the dressing and mix everything: the cucumber will not make the bulgur soggy, the pistachios will stay crisp and the parsley green. The dressed bulgur and chicken keep very well overnight in the fridge; transport with an ice pack and eat within 24 hours. For Saturday, prepare everything in the same way on Friday. Use the fine precooked bulgur intended for tabbouleh; if it is slightly coarser, allow 15 minutes to swell. If you have no paprika, use 2 g baharat on the chicken.

Equipment : kettle, mixing bowl and a plate to cover it, 26 cm frying pan, probe thermometer, fine grater for the zest and garlic

Bulgur salad in the style of Levantine tabbouleh, topped with Israeli-style grilled pargiyot, boneless chicken thighs.

Herby bulgur salad with pomegranate and grilled chicken thighs

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