This is a dish I made by accident for my mom when I had some chicken drumsticks to cook and no idea what to make. It is very quick to prepare, super tasty and looks impressive enough to serve as the main dish for a dinner party!
The best part is that all components can be prepped in advance. When you’re ready to serve, simply reheat the chicken, assemble the plate, and you are good to go!
Dinner Party Chicken
Course: MainServings
4
servings
Cook Mode
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
12 12 Chicken thighs
2 Tbsp 2 Kafta spice blend
1 Container (750g( 1 3% yogurt, plain
2 Small cloves 2 Garlic
1 Lemon 1 Zest only
1- 1/2 1- 1/2 Cucumber (or zucchini)
1 Handful 1 Arugula
1/4 Cup 1/4 Mint, chopped
1 Tbsp 1 Za’atar
Olive Oil
Directions
- Make Labneh: Add yogurt and 1/2 tsp salt to a bowl and mix. Line a mesh sieve or colander with 2 layers of cheesecloth or 2 layers of paper towel. Pour the yogurt into the cheesecloth and place the sieve/colander over a larger bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set it in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight.
- Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season it with the Kafta spice blend.
- Cook the chicken: Place the chicken in a hot pan over medium-low heat, drizzled with olive oil. You may need to use two pans so that they are not overcrowded. A crowded pan will prevent the chicken from developing a nice golden crust. Cook the chicken for about 7 minutes, then flip. Continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 175°F, then remove from heat.
- While the chicken is cooking, zest 1/2 lemon and grate the garlic. Add this to the labneh and season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice your cucumbers and chop the mint, then set them aside.
- Once the chicken is cooked, begin plating. Add large dollops of labneh on a large serving platter and smear them on the plate. Place the chicken on top of the yogurt. Arrange the arugula and cucumbers around the chicken, then drizzle olive oil and generously sprinkle mint and za’atar over the dish.
*For a visual demonstration of how to plate, you can refer to the video!
Notes
- A note about time: prepare the labneh the day or morning before you want to serve this dish. The rest of the cooking will take ~30 min. You can also make everything ahead of time and simply reheat the chicken in a pan just before serving.
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This was so delicious and easy! Made with herbed farro risotto and roasted carrots with whipped tahini. So flavourful, tender, and yummy.