GRILLED CORIANDER CHICKEN WITH YOGHURT

Given its Mediterranean overtones, it’s not surprising that this chicken dish is as good at room temperature as when it is served hot. Yogurt plays a double role as tenderizer for the meat and thickener for the sauce.

Serves 2
2 chicken breasts (500 g total)
1 cups/250 ml plain yogurt
1 tablespoons olive oil, more for the rack
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Salt and pepper
¼ cup/62 ml crème fraîche or sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

1. Put the chicken pieces in a bowl with half of the yogurt and stir until well coated. Cover and leave them to marinate in the refrigerator 3-4 hours.

2. When ready to cook, heat the grill or broiler to 400ºF/200ºC and brush the rack with oil. Take the chicken from the marinade, brush off and discard the yoghurt. Dry the chicken pieces on paper towels and set them on the rack. Grill or broil them about 3 in/7.5 cm from the heat until they are very brown and tender, turning them once or twice as they cook. This will take 20-25 minutes. Any time the chicken begins to scorch, move the pieces farther from the heat and continue cooking.

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry the onion until soft, 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and ground coriander, and cook, stirring often, until the mixture is very fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the remaining yogurt off the heat, add salt and pepper and purée the sauce with a hand-held immersion blender or in a food processor. Return the sauce to the pan, stir in the cream and fresh coriander, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Keep the sauce warm, but do not boil or it will separate. Serve the chicken hot or at room temperature, with the sauce in a separate bowl.