Grilled chermoula chicken flatbreads with charred lemon, dates and tzatziki

Name: Grilled chermoula chicken flatbreads with charred lemon, dates and tzatziki
Cook time: 1 h
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 4-6 flatbreads (); 500g chicken thighs; ½ lemon, sliced into thin rounds; 6 dates, pitted and finely sliced lengthways; 2 tbsp finely chopped herbs, such as coriander, to scatter

Katrina Meynink

February 19, 2021

Flatbreads topped with chermoula marinated chicken, charred lemon, dates and tzatziki.Katrina Meynink

Time:30 mins - 1 hourServes:4-6

Feel free to substitute the chermoula paste with a store-bought version for a speedier dinner option. I prefer to make my own; I'll often make a double batch and keep the leftovers in a screwtop jar in the fridge.

Ingredients

4-6 flatbreads (recipe here)
500g chicken thighs
½ lemon, sliced into thin rounds
6 dates, pitted and finely sliced lengthways
2 tbsp finely chopped herbs, such as coriander, to scatter

Chermoula

2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
¾-1 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp Aleppo pepper or red chilli flakes
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 preserved lemon

Tzatziki

1 cup Greek-style yoghurt
¼ cup finely chopped herbs (I used mint, dill and coriander)
½ clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper, to season

Method

1. Prepare the flatbreads as per this recipe (or use store-bought breads).
2. For the chermoula, add everything except the preserved lemon to a blender, starting with ¾ cup of the olive oil, and adding more if needed. Rinse the preserved lemon, scrape off and discard the pulp then roughly chop. Add this to the blender and blitz until combined but still a little chunky.
3. Add the chicken to a bowl and spoon the chermoula over. Toss until the chicken is well coated.
4. If time allows, let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 190C fan-forced (210C conventional).
6. Heat a large ovenproof frying pan over high heat, drizzle chicken with extra olive oil and fry until browned (2-3 minutes each side). Add the lemon slices, put in the oven and roast until cooked through (3-5 minutes), then transfer to a plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes.
7. While the chicken is resting, make the tzatziki by combining the ingredients in a bowl.
8. Warm the flatbreads then generously smear the tzatziki across the base. Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Top bread with the chicken and charred lemon slices then scatter with chopped herbs and sliced dates. Season generously and serve. Best eaten warm and on the day the breads were made.
Katrina Meynink's no-yeast flatbread recipe
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