This was basically my version of Thomas Straker’s recipe that I lusted over in his IGTV stories and finally got round to making when I had some sad looking chicken thighs that needed using.
I added cumin as a flavour running through the dish as there is something very summery and Mediterranean about the flavour of a cumin, mint and yoghurt!
Alongside the charred lemon, I charred some beautiful peppers and courgettes. All served with perfectly cooked nutty bulgur tossed with plenty of pepper and olive oil and a creamy yoghurt dip with mint, garlic, chilli and cumin!
A very healthy, very delicious midweek summer dinner. Everything on the plate just sings! It all belongs together and is meant to be just there. You will love it.
(Side note, my chicken thighs did not have a bone, nor skin but they did need using up, I would always recommend skin-on chicken thighs or legs with the bone, they are so much tastier!)
You will need to adjust the measurements here based on how much chicken you have, so use this recipe as a guide!
Ingredients
For the marinaded chicken
6 small chicken thighs or 4 large
3 heaped tablespoons of greek yoghurt
1 lemon (zest and juice)
A very good glug of olive oil
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of whole cumin (toasted)
Salt & pepper
The vegetables
2 lemons, halved
2 courgettes (cut into thick slices)
2 long red peppers, halved or quartered lengthways depending on the size
The bulgar wheat
1 large cup of bulgar wheat (I would say for 4-5 people you would need 1 + ½ or 2 cups)
Enough boiled water to cover the bulgar wheat by at least 2cm
½ bouillon cube or 1 tbl of bouillon
Olive oil (for stirring through once it’s cooked)
A good grinding of black pepper/ no salt as bouillon is salty
A handful of chopped fresh mint
A large handful of chopped pistachios or toasted pine-nuts
The yoghurt, cumin, & chilli dip
3 heaped tablespoons of yoghurt
1 handful of fresh mint, finely chopped
1 heaped teaspoon of chilli flakes or lazy chilli
1 teaspoon of cumin
½ a clove of grated garlic
A glug of olive oil
Method
First, you will need to marinade your chicken, at least 2 hours before cooking by coating the chicken in the marinade and setting aside
Prepare your vegetables
Prepare your chopped nuts and chopped mint for your bulgar and set aside
Prepare your dip and set aside
Cook your bulgar in a heavy-bottomed pan over a mid-high heat, ensure that there is enough boiled water to cover the bulgar with around 2cm spare, you don’t want to add too much water or your bulgar will overcook and become sticky. Place a lid on the pan and leave to cook, stirring occasionally for around 10 minutes.
Once cooked there should be no water, remove from the heat, immediately grind in a ton of black and pepper and stir through a massive glug of olive oil. Use a metal fork here to stir your bulgar, this will fluff it up!
Let the bulgar come down in temperature for a good 10 minutes before adding your herbs and nuts otherwise, they will cook and lose their flavour and texture.
Fire up your BBQ or get a griddle pan nice and hot, and place your chicken, skin side down over the griddle or BBQ. Let it sit there for a good 3-4 mins (this will increase depending on the size of your chicken) until the skin is charred and coloured, then flip over and cook the other size
Once your chicken is cooked remove from the BBQ and set aside
Chargrill your lemons and prepared veg by leaving on each side for at least 5 minutes, don’t be afraid to get them really charred!
To serve, pile your bulgar onto a platter and top with the chargrilled veggies, then squeeze over your chargrilled lemon and spoon on the creamy yoghurt!
