Sesame lemon chicken with baked brown lentils. Photo / Babiche Martens
Sesame lemon chicken with baked brown lentils. Photo / Babiche Martens
Serves 4
4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs
juice of two lemons or 4 Tbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs butter
1 cup brown lentils
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 lemongrass stalk, bruised
3 crushed cardamom pods
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 egg white
2 Tbs olive oil
Lemon wedges
1 Preheat the oven to 180C. Put the chicken in a bowl and squeeze over the lemon juice. Season and let marinate while cooking the lentils.
2 Grease a baking dish with the butter. Pour in the lentils and stock then add the garlic, lemongrass and cardamom.
3 Bake for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally until tender.
4 Pour the sesame seeds on to a plate. Whisk the eggwhite then dip each chicken thigh into the eggwhite and then coat one side only in the sesame seeds.
5 Heat a fry pan, add the oil and when hot, cook the chicken sesame side down for 5 minutes then turn over and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes depending on the size of the thighs.
6 Remove the cardamom and lemongrass from the lentils before serving with the chicken and lemon wedges.
