Eventhough we have been living in South Africa for over twenty years, we have never forgotten Jamie Oliver and follow him from afar! We particularly enjoy this recipe for seared turmeric chicken as it is packed with vitamins, super healthy, pretty speedy to prep and perfect for two. Jamie suggests a cooking time of 30 minutes if you include some shop bought ingredients, but we always cook fresh, so to stay on point we prepare the hummus and roasted red peppers the day before. We have included these recipes for you too!
200g seasonal greens, such as baby spinach, Swiss chard or kale
1 tablespoon blanched hazelnuts or almonds
2 large roasted peeled red peppers
Homemade hummus
Hot chilli sauce (optional)
2 sprigs of fresh oregano
1 level teaspoon ground turmeric
olive oil
2 x 120g skinless free-range chicken breasts
Pick and finely chop the oregano leaves, then place in a bowl with the turmeric, a pinch each of sea salt and black pepper and 2 tablespoons of oil to make a marinade. Toss the chicken in the marinade and leave aside.
Blanch the greens in a large pan of boiling water until just tender enough to eat but still vibrant in colour, then drain, reserving the water.
Toast the hazelnuts in a large dry non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat, removing and crushing in a pestle and mortar once lightly golden.
Return the frying pan to a high heat and cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through, turning halfway and adding the peppers when you flip the chicken. Reheat the greens, if needed.
Serve the seared turmeric chicken with the peppers, greens and hummus scattered with the hazelnuts or almonds. Nice with a drizzle of hot chilli sauce too.
METHOD:
Prepare the red peppers the day before by spraying with some olive oil and placing in a roasting pan. Pop into a preheated oven at 180°C for 20-25 mins. Turn halfway through. When nicely charred and blistered move to a bowl and cover with clingfilm. Set aside and leave to cool. Once cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and discard the stalk and seeds. You now have perfectly roasted peppers for this or any other dish.
Pick and finely chop the oregano leaves, then place in a bowl with the turmeric, a pinch each of sea salt and black pepper and 2 tablespoons of oil to make a marinade. Toss the chicken in the marinade and leave aside.
Blanch the greens in a large pan of boiling water until just tender enough to eat but still vibrant in colour, then drain, reserving the water.
Toast the hazelnuts in a large dry non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat, removing and crushing in a pestle and mortar once lightly golden.
Return the frying pan to a high heat and cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through, turning halfway and adding the peppers when you flip the chicken. Reheat the greens, if needed.
Serve the chicken with the peppers, greens and hummus scattered with the hazelnuts or almonds. Nice with a drizzle of hot chilli sauce too.
Recipe inspiration and image courtesy of Jamie Oliver. Please visit this page for our Classic Hummus recipe to accompany this dish.
We love indulging our guests in gourmet getaway experiences and we hope to one day have you at the umSisi table!
