Chicken Entertaining Side

Lemon-brined chicken with pearl barley salad

Name: Lemon-brined chicken with barley salad recipe
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 250g chopped butternut pumpkin; 250g cauliflower florets; 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (or 1/4 tsp ground cumin); 100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbs extra, to cook chicken; 200g pearl barley; Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons, plus lemon wedges, to serve; 1 bunch (2 bunches if small) flat-leaf parsley, chopped; 3 long green shallots, sliced; 55g almond; 70g yoghurt; 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds; 400ml hot water; Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons; 2 bay leaves; 1 sprig thyme or rosemary; 1/2 tsp coriander seeds; 1/2 tsp fennel seeds; 6-8 large (1kg total) chicken thigh cutlets, skin on

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Lemon-brined chicken with pearl barley salad

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by Matt Wilkinson

Chef and author

Jun 26, 2024

"Brining your chicken is a lovely way to add flavour and keep moisture in. Here, I’ve used chicken thighs, but brining chicken breasts for half the time below then poaching them in the brine liquid is a beautiful way to cook the breast. Double the amount of brine for a whole chicken and brine for 2-3 hours before you roast it; just remember to pat the skin dry before roasting to ensure crispy skin." - Matt Wilkinson

250g chopped butternut pumpkin
250g cauliflower florets
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (or 1/4 tsp ground cumin)
100ml extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbs extra, to cook chicken
1 cup (200g) pearl barley
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons, plus lemon wedges, to serve
1 bunch (2 bunches if small) flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 long green shallots, sliced
1/3 cup (55g) almonds, toasted, roughly chopped
1/4 cup (70g) plain yoghurt
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

Lemon-brined chicken

400ml hot water
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 bay leaves
1 sprig thyme or rosemary
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
6-8 large (1kg total) chicken thigh cutlets, skin on

Method

1.

For the chicken, place all ingredients, except the chicken, and 2 tsp fine salt in a large bowl. Stir until salt dissolves. Set aside to cool. Add chicken and set aside in the fridge for 1 hour 30 minutes.
2.

Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towel, discarding brine.
3.

Preheat oven to 220°C/200°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
4.

Place the pumpkin and cauliflower on the prepared tray. Season with 1/2 tsp salt flakes and the cumin and drizzle over 2 tbs of the oil. Bake in oven for 25-30 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.
5.

Meanwhile, place the pearl barley in a large saucepan with 2.5L water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 22-25 minutes until tender, but still with some bite. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool, then drain again, shaking to remove excess water, and place in a large bowl.
6.

Heat a large frypan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs oil and place the chicken skin-side down. Cook for 5-8 minutes until skin is golden brown. Turn chicken over and lower heat to medium. Cook for another 4-7 minutes until cooked and juices run clear when thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer.
7.

Add the roasted vegetables, lemon juice, remaining oil and most of the parsley, shallot and almonds (reserve a little to garnish) to the pearl barley and toss to combine. Season to taste.
8.

Spoon pearl barley salad onto a serving platter. Arrange chicken on top and dollop with yoghurt. Scatter with the reserved parsley, shallot and almonds, and sprinkle with sesame seeds and lemon zest. Serve with lemon wedges.