Spring chicken

YOU WILL NEED

1/4 cup (60g) white miso  

1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil  

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger  

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice  

4 (approx 1.4kg) chicken (drumstick and skin-on thigh cut)  

1 large fennel bulb (550g), sliced thinly, fronds reserved  

2 celery stalks (300g), sliced thinly  

2 pink grapefruit (700g), peeled, segmented  

2 medium oranges (480g), peeled, segmented  

1/2 cup (80g) smoked almonds, chopped 

METHOD

1. Whisk together miso, 1 Tbsp of the oil, ginger and lemon juice in a large bowl; season with freshly ground black pepper. Add chicken; turn to coat in marinade. Cover; refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.  

2. Heat a covered barbecue to 220°C/200°C fan. Cook the chicken on a barbecue grill over high heat until browned on both sides. Turn burners off underneath chicken, leaving outside burners on. Place chicken on a rack over a roasting pan; cook in covered barbecue by indirect heat for 35 minutes or until cooked through.  

3. Combine fennel and remaining oil in a medium bowl; season. Add celery, grapefruit and orange segments and reserved fennel fronds.  

4. Serve citrus salad with barbecued chicken; top with almonds. 

YOU WILL NEED

1 1/2 tsps smoked paprika  

1 1/2 tsps ground cumin  

1/3 cup (80ml) olive oil  

6 chicken thigh fillets (1kg), trimmed, cut in half crossways  

2 corn cobs (800g), husks and silks removed  

2 fresh small red chillies, halved lengthways  

4 large pita breads  

1/2 cup firmly packed fresh coriander sprigs  

1/2 cup firmly packed fresh mint leaves  

40g mixed salad leaves  

1 medium avocado (250g), sliced  

2 medium limes (180g), cut into wedges 

FOR LIME YOGHURT DRESSING

1/2 cup (140g) Greek-style yoghurt  

100g feta, crumbled  

2 medium limes (180g) 

METHOD

1. Combine paprika, cumin and 2 tsps of the oil in a large bowl. Add chicken; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.  

2. Brush corn with 1 Tbsp of the remaining oil. Cook corn on a heated grill plate (or grill or barbecue) over high heat for 12 minutes, turning frequently, or until lightly charred and tender. Transfer to a plate; cool slightly. Cut corn kernels from the cobs and place in a medium bowl. Cook chilli on a heated grill plate for 1 minute each side or until browned and tender; transfer to a plate.  

3. Reduce heat to medium-high. Cook chicken on a grill plate for 3 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate; cover to keep warm. 

4. Run pita quickly under water until just dampened; place on heated grill plate until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate; cover to keep warm.  

5. Place herbs and salad leaves in a medium bowl with remaining oil; toss gently to combine. Season.

6. Place pita bread on plates; top with salad mixture, drizzle with some of the dressing. Top with corn, avocado and chicken; drizzle with remaining dressing. Top with chilli. Serve with lime wedges. 

LIME YOGHURT DRESSING  

Combine yoghurt and feta in a medium bowl. Finely grate the rind from limes. Squeeze the juice; you will need 2 Tbsps. Add rind and juice to the yoghurt mixture. Season to taste. 

TOP TIPS

Fish fillets or pork tenderloin work just as well here. Grilling all the elements brings a wonderful smoky flavour to this dish. This recipe can also be pan-fried. 

Remove seeds from chillies if you prefer less heat.  

This is a casual lunch or dinner. Serve plated or place the elements in the centre of the table for your guests to build their own wraps. 

YOU WILL NEED 

2 chipotle chillies in adobo sauce (35g), chopped finely  

1 clove garlic, crushed  

1 Tbsp finely grated lemon rind  

1 Tbsp honey  

2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil  

4 chicken breast fillets (800g), halved lengthways  

1/2 cup (100g) white quinoa  

1 cup (250ml) water  

2 corn cobs (500g), husks and silks removed  

250g cherry tomatoes, halved  

4 green onions (100g), sliced  

1 large avocado (320g), sliced  

1 cup firmly packed fresh coriander leaves 

FOR THE CHIPOTLE DRESSING  

1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice  

2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil  

1 1/2 Tbsps red wine vinegar  

1 small clove garlic, crushed 

METHOD 

1. Reserve 1 tsp of adobo sauce for the dressing. Combine chipotle chillies, garlic, lemon rind, honey and oil in a large bowl. Add chicken; turn to coat in oil mixture.  

2. Rinse quinoa in a sieve; drain. Place quinoa and the water in a small saucepan; bring to the boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered, over low heat for 15 minutes or until tender and liquid is absorbed. 

3. Meanwhile, make chipotle dressing.  

4. Cook corn on a heated grill plate (or braai) over high heat for 12 minutes, turning occasionally, or until blackened and tender.  

5. Reduce heat to low, cook chicken for about 3 minutes each side or until cooked through.  

6. Combine quinoa, corn, tomatoes, green onion, avocado and coriander in a large bowl; drizzle with half the dressing. Divide salad among bowls, top with chicken; drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve with lime wedges, if you like. 

CHIPOTLE DRESSING

Combine all ingredients and reserved adobo sauce in a small bowl; season to taste. 

COOK’S NOTES 

Miso is a fermented soybean paste. There are many types, each with its own aroma, flavour, colour and texture. Generally, the darker the miso, the saltier the taste. 

YOU WILL NEED

2 Tbsps olive oil and another to smear 

1 clove garlic, finely chopped 

1-2 jalapeño chili peppers, devoid of seeds and chopped 

150g instant polenta 

120g parmesan cheese, grated 

salt and freshly ground pepper 

FOR THE SALAD 

3 ears of sweetcorn, shaken 

1 Tbsp sunflower oil 

1 onion, finely chopped 

4 cloves garlic, crushed 

1 small jalapeño chilli pepper, stripped of seeds and chopped  

300g zucchini (approx. 2 smaller), sliced to cubes 

1 red pepper, diced 

200g green garden beans (beans fava), steamed and peeled (may be frozen) 

3/4 tsp salt and freshly ground pepper 

juice of 1 lime 

250g cherry tomatoes, halved 

chopped coriander and basil for garnish 

METHOD

1. Heat the polenta over a small flame in 2 Tbsps of olive oil, add garlic and chilli pepper and fry slowly; garlic must not brown. Then set aside.  

2. Pour 800ml of water into the pot and bring to a boil. Then slowly sprinkle with a thin stream of polenta. Do not stop stirring otherwise it will make lumps. When smooth, keep cooking and stirring for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the cheese and chilli pepper with garlic, salt and pepper.  

3. Mix well, then pour the polenta into a shallow baking dish and smooth it with a spatula to a thickness of about 2cm. Leave to cool completely and freeze in the fridge. It’s ideal to prepare the polenta the day before to solidify, but an hour should be enough. 

4. Heat the ends of the sweetcorn on high heat on the grill to give it a nice scorch, it takes about 10 minutes. Then cut from the corn grains so that a few grains always hold together. Cut the polenta into rectangles, smear them with oil on both sides and grill on each side for about 3 minutes. Keep the finished product warm. 

5. Heat the oil over a medium flame in a pan on the stove, put the onion in a pan and fry about 3 minutes until soft. Add garlic and chili pepper and fry for another minute. Add grilled pieces of corn, zucchini and peppers and fry together until pepper and zucchini. It shouldn’t soften. Add garden beans, salt, pepper and lime juice. Stir and leave for the last 2 minutes on fire. Then set aside, add tomatoes, coriander and basil. Serve with polenta. 

SOMETHING EXTRA  

You can serve polenta with tomato sauce. Heat in a pot 1 Tbsp olive oil and fry finely chopped onion in it until soft and golden. Add 3 pressed cloves garlic and fry for another minute. Then insert 400g canned tomatoes, 2 Tbsps passata, 1 bay leaf and 1 Tbsp olive oil; leave together and cook for 15 minutes. Adjust the salt and, if necessary, add cane sugar. 

YOU WILL NEED 

3 smaller oblong red peppers – capsicum, cut lengthwise and seedless  

100g black lentils, rinsed and cooked according to the instructions on the package 

100g of feta cheese or Balkan cheese 

3 Tbsps pumpkin seeds 

a handful of fresh coriander leaves 

1 lime 

hot sauce (sriracha or Tabasco) 

1 avocado (optional) 

METHOD

1. Heat a grill plate or pan. Roast the peppers on each side for 4 minutes. The peppers should darken and catch blisters. Mix the lentils with the cheese and warm. Spoon carefully into the peppers. 

2. Sprinkle the peppers with pumpkin seeds and coriander. Serve halved with lime, hot sauce and avocado. 

SOMETHING EXTRA 

* Peel and stone 1 avocado, cut it into cubes, drip lime juice over it, salt with sea salt and mash roughly. 

* Heated canned black beans can be used instead of boiled lentils.