This is one of those easy, yet completely delicious ways of using leftover roasted chicken. It’s easy because it’s an assembly job based on a few simply cooked basics and you can change it to add things you might need to use up in the fridge or store cupboard – chopped celery, chopped apricots, pine nuts, or hazelnuts would make interesting variations. Make the basic pilaf, add the leftover chicken, make it your own!

You will need...

• Leftover chicken breast meat, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 50g Puy lentils, cooked according to the packet instructions – usually rinsed and cooked in water in a pan for 10minutes and drained.
• 150g basmati rice
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 tsps, grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon of light olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 20g butter
• 50g toasted flaked almonds
• 20g roughly chopped pistachios
• 100ml chicken stock
• 1 small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped
• Juice and zest of a small lemon
• Salt and black pepper
• 200g plain Greek yoghurt
• 1/3 of a cucumber, peeled, de-seeded and grated

To make…

• First, cook the pilaf. On a medium heat, add the oil and butter to a large shallow pan (a frying pan with a lid is perfect), add fennel seeds, ginger, cumin, garlic and the onion and cook gently for 10 minutes or so until soft and sweet. Add the rice and carefully coat the grains with the mixture, add the stock and seasoning. Bring it to the boil, cover with the lid, turn off the heat and leave to stand for 20 minutes or so. The rice will cook perfectly in the steam.
• Once cooked and slightly cooled (this is a dish best served just warm), turn the rice into a large serving bowl and stir in the lentils, chopped coriander, chicken, nuts and lemon juice and zest.
• Mix the yoghurt and cucumber and serve on the side or spoon evenly over the pilau.

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