Burnt lemon chicken with royal bulgur and mustard crème fraîche
The showstopper of all sharing plates - and remarkably simple to make. Chicken thighs are grilled and braised in a burnt lemon, garlic and rosemary butter sauce, then nestled into a bed of fragrant bulgur wheat studded with currants, apricots, bright herbs and pistachios. Add in a creamy, lemony, mustardy crème fraîche and you've got a layered sharing platter that hits in all the right places.
Top Tip - go hefty on the herbs in the royal bulgur as they bring this dish to life!
hands-on time
45 minutes
1 hour
total time
4-5
serves
Ingredients
Royal bulgur
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium brown onions, sliced thinly
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
250g medium bulgur wheat
50g currants
50g dried apricots, roughly chopped
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
250ml vegetable stock
50g pistachio kernels, roasted and roughly chopped
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon
1 large handful flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped, plus extra to serve
1 medium handful mint leaves, sliced thinly
Mustard crème fraîche
300g crème fraîche
4 cloves garlic, finely grated
2 tsp Dijon mustard
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice
¾ tsp cracked black pepper
¼ tsp ground allspice
sea salt, to taste
Burnt lemon chicken
5 lemons, halved, seeds removed
2 tbsp olive oil
700g chicken thigh cutlets
sea salt
cracked black pepper
50g butter
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 sprig rosemary, leaves picked
2 tsp honey
200ml vegetable stock
Method
First prepare the royal bulgur. Place the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic, coriander and cumin seeds and cook for 2 minutes, tossing through the onion to lightly toast. Add the bulgur wheat, currants, apricots, and lemon zest, stir through for a minute, then pour in the vegetable stock. Stir through to fully submerge the bulgur, bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and remove from the heat. Leave for 15 minutes, enough time to allow the bulgur wheat to become tender but firm-to-the-bite, and absorb the liquid. Fluff up with a fork, and toss through the pistachios, lemon juice, parsley and mint. Cover with the lid to keep warm and set aside.
For the mustard crème fraîche, in a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well combined to form a luscious creamy sauce. Season to taste with a little salt, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the burnt lemon chicken, place a large lidded frying pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add the 10 lemon halves to the pan, cut-side down, and grill for 4 minutes without moving, until the lemon flesh is burnt and sticky underneath. Remove the lemon halves from the pan and set aside to cool. Return the pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Season the chicken thighs generously with sea salt and cracked black pepper, then add the chicken thighs to the pan and cook for 3 minutes on each side, until turning golden. Add the butter, garlic, rosemary leaves and honey to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes, spooning the butter over the chicken thighs as it melts, until the garlic is becoming golden. Squeeze all of the juice from 6 of the 10 lemon halves over the chicken, then add the squeezed lemon halves to the pan, along with the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken thighs are cooked through.
To serve, spoon two-thirds of the mustard crème fraîche onto a large serving platter, spreading with the back of a spoon to cover the base. Pile the royal bulgur onto the crème fraîche base, then arrange the chicken thighs on top, spooning a little of the braising liquid from the pan over the chicken so it’s beautiful and glossy. Dollop the remaining mustard crème fraîche over and around the chicken, then finish with a flourish of chopped parsley. Serve warm, with the 4 remaining burnt lemon halves alongside.