Saffron Chicken Boiled Lemon And Green Bean Salad Recipes

GRILLED CHICKEN SALAD WITH GREEN BEANS, CAPERS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Marinate the chicken: Season breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with lemon zest, rosemary, garlic, olive oil and red pepper flakes. Smear seasoning on meat to coat well and leave at room temperature for 15 minutes. (You may season the meat up to 4 hours ahead and store covered in refrigerator.)
• Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, stir together lemon juice, garlic, mustard and capers. Whisk in olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Make the olive paste: Chop olives roughly with a food processor. Transfer to a bowl and stir in garlic and olive oil. (May be prepared in advance; keeps 1 week, refrigerated.)
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Simmer beans for 2 minutes or until tender, then drain and spread on a towel-lined baking sheet to cool.
• Meanwhile, grill the chicken: Lay skin-side down on a medium-high grill. If the fire is too hot, the skin will scorch - you want it to brown gradually. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on the skin side, until skin is golden. Flip the chicken and cook on the other side for 2 minutes or so, until firm to the touch when pressed with index finger. (If using skinless breasts, reduce cooking time to about 3 minutes per side.) Remove chicken to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes.
• To assemble salad: Put beans in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and dress with vinaigrette, coating well. Transfer beans to a large platter or individual plates. Cut breasts on an angle into 1/2-inch slices and lay on top. Quickly dab about 1 teaspoon olive paste on each breast and spread on meat with back of spoon. Surround with quartered egg and scattered olives, if using. Sprinkle with parsley and basil.

SHREDDED CHICKEN, GREEN BEAN & BARLEY SALAD WITH PAPRIKA & LEMON

Steps:

• Remove the skin from the chicken and shred the meat off the bones into bite-size pieces. Cook the pearl barley in boiling, salted water until tender, but not too soft, about 20 mins. Drain well, then tip into a large bowl.
• Blanch the green beans in more boiling, salted water for about 5 mins, until just cooked. Drain, rinse with cold water to cool, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Add to the barley along with pepper, onion, almonds, lemon zest and parsley.
• Whisk together the dressing ingredients with seasoning. Pour over the salad, toss everything together and serve.

BRAISED LEMON-SAFFRON CHICKEN AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a mortar and pestle (or the bottom of a spoon and a bowl), grind the saffron threads into a powder as best you can. Add the 2 tablespoons hot water and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Place the chicken in a 9-by-13-inch roasting pan or baking dish. Cut large potatoes into 1-inch pieces and add to the pan. Drizzle the chicken and potatoes with the oil, then season well with salt and pepper.
• Add the lemon juice to the saffron water, mix to combine, then pour over the chicken and potatoes, stirring to coat. Arrange the chicken skin-side down. Sprinkle evenly with the whole black peppercorns, if using, then cover tightly with foil. (It's OK if everything is close together.)
• Cook until the meat is tender and easily pulled from the bone, and the potatoes are soft, about 1 1/2 hours. During the last 15 minutes, remove the foil, flip the chicken, stir the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes more, uncovered, to reduce some of the liquid.
• Season with black pepper and serve with rice or pita to soak up the lemony juices.

MOROCCAN SAFFRON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
• Cover, and cook over medium to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour, or until the chicken is very tender and pulls easily off the bone.
• Do not add water, and be careful not to burn the chicken.
• Reduce the liquids until they are mostly oils.
• Discard the cinnamon sticks, and taste for seasoning. (The sauce should be a bit salty and peppery.).

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON

Steps:

• Place the saffron in a medium-size bowl and crush to a powder with a pestle or the end of a wooden spoon. Stir in the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in the yogurt, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Rinse off chicken pieces under cold running water, then drain and blot dry on paper towels. Place chicken in large nonreactive bowl or re-sealable bag and pour the marinade over them, turning the pieces to coat thoroughly. Cover and let marinate, in the refrigerator, for 24 hours, turning the pieces occasionally.
• Preheat the grill, medium in one are and high heat in another area.
• Prepare the basting mixture. Place saffron in a medium bowl and crush it again to a powder. Stir in lemon juice and let sit for 5 minutes. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on low heat, then remove from heat and stir in saffron mixture.
• Place chicken pieces on oiled grate, skin side down, on high heat and allow to brown for several minutes and then move them to med/low heat for several minutes. Now flip chicken pieces over and place on high heat til browned and again move over to the low heat to cook through. Baste pieces a couple of times during grilling. Be careful to watch for flareups and don't burn them. Season with salt and pepper.