Grilled Chicken and Asparagus with Harissa Yogurt Sauce
Chances are you have a jar of harissa in your pantry—the red pepper and spice paste with North African roots. Or if you don’t, you should. Served straight up as a condiment, it can be quite spicy. But when stirred into yogurt with a little lemon juice and salt, harissa mellows into a less assertive version of itself—still peppery, but also fruity and floral. Here, the harissa and yogurt combo doubles as a marinade for grilled chicken and a sauce to dollop on top.
For healthier grilling: Marinate
A brain-healthier way to enjoy chicken and meat on the grill is to marinate first. The marinade creates a barrier between the food and the heat of the grill, which reduces harmful AGE formation. (Read more about AGEs and the cooking techniques to reduce them here.) An acidic marinade, like this yogurt-based one, results in chicken that comes off the grill tender and nicely browned. Plus, it infuses each bite with peppery flavor.
Mix up the colors for more brain power
You’ll pair the chicken with fat spears of asparagus, scallions (roots and all), and mini sweet peppers—three good partners for grilling since they’re done at the same time—plus caramelized lemon slices, which might be my favorite part. For an extra brain-healthy boost, choose a mixture of pepper colors for the variety of flavonoids from the plant pigments.
Wild rice has even more protein than quinoa
Wild rice is a seed with a delightfully nutty flavor. It’s high in protein and nutrients, on par with quinoa. Because it takes a bit longer to cook, I like to make a double or triple batch and freeze leftovers for shortcuts to future meals. Boiling it like pasta (instead of using the absorption method) means you won’t have to keep as close an eye on it while outside grilling. Other grains work well here, like farro, brown rice, black rice, and quinoa.
To serve family style, pile the rice in the middle of a large platter. Drape the chicken slices over one side of the platter and the bowl of sauce on the other. Pile the vegetables in the center and scatter the lemon slices over top. Finish with flaky salt, if you like.
Tips:
While full fat yogurt is most commonly used as a marinade in this scenario, I found that both almond and cashew yogurts worked well. Coconut yogurt, even though I haven’t tested it yet, would most likely also be delicious. Greek yogurt is a great choice if you are trying to get more protein in your diet. Since it has a thicker consistency than regular yogurt, you may need to thin it with a little water.
A grill basket or mesh mat can be helpful here to keep your vegetables and lemon slices from slipping through the grates.
Prep Time | 20 minutes |
Cook Time | 1 hour |
Servings |
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- 1 cup wild rice
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups plain unsweetened yogurt
- 3 tablespoons Harissa spice paste
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 bunch asparagus ends trimmed
- 1 large bunch scallions roots scrubbed
- 6 to 8 mini sweet peppers left whole
- 2 organic lemons sliced into thin rounds
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Flaky salt optional
Ingredients
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- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice, cover with a lid set ajar, and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook until the rice is chewy and many of the grains have split open, 45 to 55 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat a grill to medium-high (375ºF) with a rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season on both sides with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.
- Stir together the yogurt, harissa, lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Transfer half the sauce to a small serving bowl; set aside. Add the chicken to the medium bowl and toss to coat evenly with the sauce. Set aside at room temperature for up to 20 minutes. To marinate longer, keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours and bring to room temperature before grilling.
- Toss the asparagus, scallions, peppers, lemon slices, oil, and ½ teaspoon salt on a rimmed baking sheet until evenly coated.
- Place the chicken on one side of the grill and the asparagus, scallions, peppers, and lemon slices on the other side. Grill until the chicken is golden on one side and the vegetables are starting to soften, 10 to 12 minutes. Flip everything and cook until the chicken is cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes more. Leave the vegetables on the grill.
- Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest. Move the vegetables around on the grill until they are soft and starting to brown on all sides, and the lemon is brown and crispy on the edges, about 5 minutes more.
- Drain the wild rice, return to the pot, and cover to keep warm.
- Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces. To serve, divide the wild rice between plates and top with the chicken, vegetables and lemon, and a dollop of Harissa-yogurt sauce. Sprinkle with flaky salt, if you like and serve extra sauce on the side.
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