Freekeh recipe

Feekeh with chicken thighs

Preparation time: approx. 1 hour 15 minutes

For 4 people

Ingredients:

• 4 large chicken thighs (Alternatively, e.g., vegetables, smoked tofu or chickpeas)
• 500 g Freekeh
• 2 medium-sized onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 allspice berries
• 100 g pine nuts
• 100 g almond slivers
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp hot paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1.5 liters of water
• A little oil
• Salt

Preparation:

Peel one onion and one garlic clove. Quarter the onion and finely chop the garlic.

Wash the chicken thighs thoroughly, place them in a large pot, and cover with water. Add the bay leaf, allspice, 1 tablespoon of salt, garlic, and the sliced onion, and bring to a boil. Simmer for approximately 25-30 minutes over medium heat. Then remove the chicken thighs.

Tip: If you want to avoid meat, you can replace it with roasted vegetables. This should be fried later, as the freekeh needs to be cooked through first. For the vegetable alternative, for example, cut 4 bell peppers into thin strips, 2 eggplants into slices, and 3 zucchini into cubes. Sauté the vegetables in a hot pan with a little butter and two finely chopped garlic cloves for about 5 minutes. Then season with a little coriander, cumin, a pinch of cinnamon, and hot paprika powder.

Wash and dry the freekeh.

Peel and finely chop the second onion. Heat butter in a pan and fry the onions until golden brown. Then add the freekeh and toast while stirring.

Deglaze the freekeh with the cooked chicken broth. For a vegan version, vegetable broth can be used and seasoned with bay leaf and allspice. The rule of thumb is one part freekeh (500 ml) to three parts liquid (1500 ml). If a lot of water evaporates while cooking the chicken thighs, add a little more water to the freekeh.

Simmer the freekeh for about 40 minutes with the lid closed on the lowest setting. Stir occasionally. Season with salt and cinnamon.

Place chicken thighs skin-side up on a baking sheet, brush with oil, and season with paprika, a pinch of cinnamon, and salt. Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

Toast pine nuts and almond slivers in a pan without oil.

Spread the freekeh on a large serving platter and arrange the chicken thighs – or vegetables – on top. Sprinkle with almonds and pine nuts and enjoy.

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