Learn to make your own smoked chicken with this Citrus Smoked Chicken with Risoni and Spring Greens recipe. The chicken breasts are smoked using Jasmin rice, sugar, cinnamon sticks, Earl Grey tea leaves, and orange peels in a wok with a lid. If short on time, purchase precooked smoked chicken breasts. The salad is fresh and crisp with risoni, asparagus, snow peas, spinach, fennel, radish and cucumber.
Citrus Smoked Chicken with Risoni and Spring Greens Recipe
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
2 tbsp orange marmalade
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp tamari
1 tsp salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken breast fillets
3 oranges
¼ cup (50g) jasmine rice
1 tbsp sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
2 tbsp Earl Grey tea leaves or 2 tea bags, tea removed from bag
1 cup (180g) risoni pasta
1½ cups (375ml) vegetable stock
2 bunches asparagus, trimmed
80g snow peas, julienned
Reserved orange juice, from step 2
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp orange marmalade
1 tsp tamari
½ cup (125ml) olive oil
¼ cup (60ml) grapeseed oil
½ tsp salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pkt (60g) baby spinach
1 small fennel bulb, thinly shaved, green fronds reserved
6 radishes, thinly sliced
3 mini cucumbers, thinly sliced
Method:
Mix marmalade, vinegar, tamari, salt flakes and pepper in a large glass bowl; add chicken fillets and mix well to coat. Cover with plastic film and marinate in the fridge for 1-2 hours, or longer if time allows.
Peel the oranges, reserving peel for the smoking mix. Using a sharp knife, segment the oranges, catching any juices in a bowl, to be used for the dressing. You need ¼ cup (60ml) of orange juice. Reserve peel, segments and juice.
To smoke the chicken, you need a wok with a lid. Line the wok with foil. Add rice, sugar, cinnamon sticks, tea leaves, and reserved orange peels. Put the lid on the wok and heat on a high heat, Induction setting 8, until mixture starts to smoke. Place a small rack over the rice mixture and place chicken breasts onto the rack. Replace the lid; reduce heat slightly, to setting 5-6 and smoke the chicken for 20 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, place risoni into a small baking dish; add vegetable stock. Steam for 10 minutes or until the risoni is just tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Place asparagus and snow peas on a perforated steaming tray; place the tray in the steam oven and steam for 4 minutes, or until just tender and a lovely bright green colour.
Remove risoni and vegetables from the steam oven. Transfer asparagus and snow peas into a bowl of chilled water so that they stay crisp and retain their colour; drain and set aside. Stir a little olive oil through the risoni to separate the grains and set aside until ready to assemble.
Meanwhile, combine reserved orange juice with mustard, marmalade and tamari; mix to combine then gradually whisk in the oils. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Place risoni in a large bowl and stir through ⅓ cup (80ml) of the dressing. Add asparagus, snow peas, spinach, fennel, radish and cucumber. Mix well to combine.
To assemble, place risoni salad onto a plate. Top with sliced chicken and reserved orange slices. Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing and scatter with the reserved fennel fronds.
Smart Tips
If short on time, purchase precooked smoked chicken breast, add the marmalade glaze and reheat gently in the steam oven to serve.
Leftover dressing will keep refrigerated for 7 days and is delicious on any salad and is also great with salmon.
If you don’t have a wok to smoke the chicken, you can use a deep frying pan with a lid.
Recipe from Culinary Expert Janelle Holston, from Winnings Appliances, leading kitchen and laundry specialist.
