One for the Indian summer — to be eaten with your fingers. Chicken thigh tastes better than breast and isn’t too fatty. Seeds can be bought once in great quantity and stored in air tight jars in a dark cupboard.For the salsa: if you can’t find mint, use just parsley, coriander or any other green herb.
The quantities are for four, but why not make double and eat the leftovers as a packed lunch next day?
For the chicken:
600g free-range, boned chicken thigh, cut and spread out so no area is more than an inch thick
6 tbsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
For the salsa (relative proportions really don’t make that much difference in the scheme of things):
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A handful of parsley
A handful of mint
1 tbsp of capers
4 anchovy fillets
Juice of half a lemon
6 tbsp olive oil
To serve with the chicken
Wholemeal flatbreads or pitta
Cos lettuce or baby gem leaves (a whole cos or 2-4 baby gems)
4 pickled gherkins, sliced finely lengthwise
6 ripe tomatoes, sliced finely
Salt and pepper to sprinkle on at the table
For the pea salad:
800g frozen peas
Half an onion chopped finely
A handful of parsley and mint leaves, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar (or cider, or red wine, or lemon juice)
Handful of seeds (any of pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, linseed/flax seed, hemp seed)
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Mix the chicken with the marinade and some pepper and let rest for anything between 10 minutes and overnight. Grill the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes per side or until well browned. Season.
Throw the salsa ingredients into a food processor and blitz for about 20 seconds to get a rough paste. If you don’t have a food processor, you can chop them finely and then stir in the juice and oil. Season. Thaw the peas in a pan of boiling water (drop them in for about 30 seconds until not too hot but not frozen inside). Drain. Mix in the other ingredients and season. Sprinkle the seeds on top.
Serve the chicken, salsa, tomatoes, lettuce, and pickles separately and let people make up their own kebabs to eat with their fingers. Serve the pea salad on the side.