Name: One pan chicken and bulgur dumplings with cucumber yoghurt
Ingredients: 8 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on; 2 tsp dried oregano; ½ tsp ground turmeric; 2 small onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced (270g); 1 cinnamon stick; 400ml chicken stock; 1½ tbsp lemon juice; 35g unsalted butter; 150g fine bulgur; 55g sultanas; 1½ tsp lemon zest (lemon reserved for chicken); ¼ fresh nutmeg, finely grated; 160ml boiling water; 3 spring onions (45g), finely chopped; 10g coriander, finely chopped; 10g mint leaves, finely chopped; 10g dill leaves, finely chopped, plus 10g picked leaves to serve; ½ tsp aleppo chilli, plus an extra ¼ tsp to serve; 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp ground cumin; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 180g plain yoghurt; 1 egg; 1 tbsp plain flour; ½ cucumber (160g); 150g plain yoghurt, at room temperature; fine sea salt

One pan chicken and bulgur dumplings with cucumber yoghurt

Main Midweek

Serves 4-6

Prep 20 min

Cook 50 min

Marinade 1 hr - overnight

This is a super simple one dish chicken bake. The recipe is inspired by Turkish Arap Koftesi, (Turkish bulgur koftes), which are usually fried and served in cucumber yoghurt and brown butter. Get ahead by marinating the chicken and making the bulgur dumplings the night before. If you can’t find fine bulgur, then feel free to use instant couscous, adding a tablespoon less water to cook.

Ingredients

CHICKEN
8	chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
2 tsp	dried oregano
½ tsp	ground turmeric
2	small onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced (270g)
1	cinnamon stick
400ml	chicken stock
1½ tbsp	lemon juice
35g	unsalted butter
BULGUR DUMPLINGS
150g	fine bulgur
55g	sultanas
1½ tsp	lemon zest (lemon reserved for chicken)
¼	fresh nutmeg, finely grated
160ml	boiling water
3	spring onions (45g), finely chopped
10g	coriander, finely chopped
10g	mint leaves, finely chopped
10g	dill leaves, finely chopped, plus 10g picked leaves to serve
½ tsp	aleppo chilli, plus an extra ¼ tsp to serve
3/4 tsp	ground cinnamon
½ tsp	ground cumin
2	cloves garlic, crushed
180g	plain yoghurt
1	egg
1 tbsp	plain flour
YOGHURT CUCUMBERS
½	cucumber (160g)
150g	plain yoghurt, at room temperature
	fine sea salt

Method

Add the chicken, oregano, turmeric and 1½ teaspoons salt to a large bowl and marinade at room temperature for at least an hour, or refrigerated for longer if time allows.
Preheat the oven to 220C.
Make the dumplings. In a large bowl, combine the bulgur, sultanas, lemon zest, nutmeg and 1 tsp salt, and pour over 160ml boiling water. Wait for the bulgur to cool slightly, about 5 minutes, before adding the remaining dumpling ingredients and mixing well to combine. Use your hands to shape into 8 compact 80g balls and place them on a plate.
Use a peeler to create zebra stripes down the length of the cucumber. Cut in half lengthways, then use a small spoon to scrape away and discard the seeds. Slice diagonally into 2mm thick pieces and then transfer to a small bowl with ¼ teaspoon salt. Toss to combine then place in a colander set over the bowl to drain. Set aside while you continue with the rest.
Place the sliced onions and cinnamon stick in a large roasting tin roughly 30 x 30 cm in size. Top with the chicken, skin side up, and bake for 20 minutes. Add the bulgur dumplings in the gaps between the chicken then pour over the stock and cook for a further 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to 190C and cook for a final 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and everything is nicely golden.
Meanwhile, discard the salty liquid from the cucumber, add them to the bowl with the yoghurt and mix to combine. Set aside.
Towards the last 10 minutes of cooking, make the brown butter. Add the butter to a small saute pan and cook over a medium high heat for 6-7 minutes, until golden brown with a nutty aroma, stirring occasionally.
Remove the chicken from the oven, pour over the lemon juice and spoon the cucumber yoghurt mixture in the gaps between the chicken and dumplings. Pour the brown butter evenly over the dumplings, and top with the extra picked dill and Aleppo chilli.