Recipe Citrus herbed chicken and butternut squash salad

Morning Glory

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This is a warm Autumnal salad. The slightly sweet taste of the squash is tempered by the notes of citrus, fresh herbs and pomegranate molasses. If you wished you could sprinkle some chilli flakes over to finish, which would look pretty and add another taste dimension.

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Ingredients (serves 2)
200g butternut squash, deseeded and cut into 1 cm slices
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced fairly thinly
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 large chicken breast fillet
Chicken stock or water for poaching
1 large handful of fresh parsley
1 large handful of mint
Juice of half a lemon
Juice of a large orange
1/2 tsp salt
Salad leaves
Oil to drizzle (I used extra virgin rapeseed oil)

Method
  1. Heat the oven to 170C.
  2. Place the butternut squash slices and red onion slices in a baking tin. Drizzle with the oil and turn the slices to coat them thoroughly.
  3. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes and then drizzle with pomegranate molasses. Bake for a further 5 minutes or until the squash is tender.
  4. Whilst the squash is cooking poach the chicken breast in chicken stock until cooked through (15 - 20 minutes). Drain and keep warm.
  5. To make the dressing for the chicken, place the citrus juices into a jug or food blender. Roughly chop the parsley and mint and mix it with the juice. Add the salt then blitz the mixture so its well amalgamated (I used a stick blender in a jug).
  6. Cut the warm chicken across the grain into bite sized pieces and add them the citrus herb dressing, ensuing each piece of chicken is coated.
  7. To serve, arrange the butternut squash slices, onion and the chicken on a bed of salad leaves (I used watercress).
  8. Drizzle with oil.
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I've never heard of pomegranate molasses. I had a quick Google and see it can be picked up in places like Sainsbury's and Tesco.
 
I've never heard of pomegranate molasses. I had a quick Google and see it can be picked up in places like Sainsbury's and Tesco.

Yeah - its a great store cupboard ingredient which adds a sweet/sour taste. Originally from the Middle East, it was made popular in the UK by Ottolenghi, I suspect.
 
By coincidence I'm visiting my folks and my mum had this book lying around which I am going to 'borrow'. As soon as you said 'Middle East' I had a look and it has pomegranates all over the recipes and many of them use pomengranate molasses. I've never cooked this kind of cuisine so quite excited about the new tastes it will reveal. I'll be starting with your great recipe when I get back!

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I've never heard of pomegranate molasses. I had a quick Google and see it can be picked up in places like Sainsbury's and Tesco.
The most recent cookbook I got (Milk Street), it seems half the recipes call for pomegranate molasses.
 
This is a warm Autumnal salad. The slightly sweet taste of the squash is tempered by the notes of citrus, fresh herbs and pomegranate molasses. If you wished you could sprinkle some chilli flakes over to finish, which would look pretty and add another taste dimension.

View attachment 72844


Ingredients (serves 2)
200g butternut squash, deseeded and cut into 1 cm slices
1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced fairly thinly
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 large chicken breast fillet
Chicken stock or water for poaching
1 large handful of fresh parsley
1 large handful of mint
Juice of half a lemon
Juice of a large orange
1/2 tsp salt
Salad leaves
Oil to drizzle (I used extra virgin rapeseed oil)

Method
  1. Heat the oven to 170C.
  2. Place the butternut squash slices and red onion slices in a baking tin. Drizzle with the oil and turn the slices to coat them thoroughly.
  3. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes and then drizzle with pomegranate molasses. Bake for a further 5 minutes or until the squash is tender.
  4. Whilst the squash is cooking poach the chicken breast in chicken stock until cooked through (15 - 20 minutes). Drain and keep warm.
  5. To make the dressing for the chicken, place the citrus juices into a jug or food blender. Roughly chop the parsley and mint and mix it with the juice. Add the salt then blitz the mixture so its well amalgamated (I used a stick blender in a jug).
  6. Cut the warm chicken across the grain into bite sized pieces and add them the citrus herb dressing, ensuing each piece of chicken is coated.
  7. To serve, arrange the butternut squash slices, onion and the chicken on a bed of salad leaves (I used watercress).
  8. Drizzle with oil.
View attachment 72845
Wow, looks delicious and the pics and colours are brilliant (as always)!
 
I think I will. I just checked my local Kroger. Not surprisingly, they don't carry it. I can probably get it at the gourmet shop or the international market.
I am sure you could find it on Amazon. Or it seems like somewhere in Columbus or Cinci would have it, don't you travel there on occasion?
 
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