Joanne Weir Follow @ChefJoanneWeir

Warm Moroccan Chicken and Sweet Potato Salad

Warm Moroccan Chicken and Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients

Chicken-
3 chicken breasts on the bone, about 1 ½ to 2 pounds
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Kosher Salt

 

Salad-
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt
7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups sweet potatoes, ¾-inch dice, about 1 ½ pounds
¼ cup whole almonds with skin, coarsely chopped
⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
1 ½ tablespoons cumin seeds
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
½ cup chopped cilantro stems
4 green onions, white and green, thinly sliced
3 cups cilantro leaves and sprigs

Instructions

Remove the skin from the chicken and discard. Place the chicken in a large saucepan with the curry powder, cumin, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is tender, 20 minutes. Remove from the pan and discard the liquid. Let the chicken cool.

When the chicken is cool, remove the meat from the bone and tear into pieces. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375 ° F.

For the salad, mix the curry powder, ground cumin and 1½ teaspoons salt. Toss half of the spice mixture with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sweet potatoes and roast until tender, 30 minutes.

In the meantime, toss the almonds and pumpkin seeds with the remaining spice mixture and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, place on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until the almonds and pumpkins seeds are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.

For the dressing, place the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium high heat and toss until they are aromatic and begin to crackle, 30 to 40 seconds. Remove from the heat, place in a bowl. Add the vinegar, garlic, and remaining 5 tablespoons olive oil.

When the potatoes are done, add the chicken pieces, almonds, pumpkin seeds, tomatoes, green onions, chopped cilantro, and half of the dressing; mix well. Place the salad in the center of a serving plate. Drizzle the remaining dressing around the plate and scatter with cilantro leaves.