This is a lovely warming recipe for colder nights, it can be made using chicken wings or other cuts with the bone in, or it’s a super way to utilise the meat left on the chicken carcass after roasting. You may want to pick the meat from the carcass or combine it with any leftover pieces from a previous meal.
Baked Lentils with Chicken & Aromatic Spices, by Chris Onions
Ingredients
Method
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Preheat the oven to 160℃
We begin by making our aromatic spice mix, which forms the base flavouring of the dish.
Place a heavy-based ovenproof pot large enough to hold all the ingredients on medium heat and add the fennel, cumin and coriander seed, gently toast them taking care not to burn them, this will take around three minutes. Then transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind till smooth. Add the paprika and turmeric and combine well.
Return the pot to medium heat and add a good drizzle of olive oil, the chopped onions, garlic and ginger and fry gently for 10 minutes until lightly caramelised. Now add all the spices and fry for a further two minutes, keep stirring. Now add the yoghurt and continue cooking for three minutes to achieve a thick, aromatic paste.
Add the lentils, cinnamon, bay leaf and chicken stock, and bring up to a simmer. Once boiling, scatter over the shredded chicken, pop on the lids and place into the oven.
Bake until the lentils begin to soften, this will take around 1 hour.
Depending on the lentils, you may need to add a little more water or stock to achieve the correct consistency. We’re looking for a dahl or thick soup consistency.
Once the lentils are soft, remove the lids and add the preserved lemon and lemon zest, return to the oven for 10 minutes or until the lentils are soft. Remove from the oven and all the pan to sit, lid on for 5 minutes.
Once rested, remove the lid and add the lemon juice and check the seasoning. Scatter over the coriander and spring onions and drizzle with a little yoghurt if you have any.
This dish is lovely served on its own, but I also like to eat it with some roast root vegetables, a fresh green salad with a little lime vinaigrette or steamed rice.
