Buddy Oliver's Barbecued Chicken Lollipops with Pepper and Pineapple Salsa and Lemony Couscous

Serves: 2
Total Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 20 min

INGREDIENTS

• 150g wholewheat couscous
• olive oil
• 2 lemons
• 2 x 120g higher-welfare skinless chicken breasts
• 4 sprigs rosemary (tired together with a piece of string)
• 1 tsp runny honey
• 1 red pepper
• ¼ of a small onion
• 150g pineapple
• extra virgin olive oil
• ½ a bunch (15g) soft herbs, such as mint, flat-leaf parsley (optional)
• natural yoghurt
• 6 wooden skewers
  
  

METHOD

1. Soak 6 wooden skewers in cold water to stop them burning later on.

2. Place the couscous in a bowl with ½ a tablespoon of olive oil. Finely grate in the zest of ½ a lemon and squeeze in the juice, throwing the squeezed half into the bowl. Just cover the couscous with boiling water, then cover and leave aside to fluff up.

3. Carefully push 3 skewers horizontally into each chicken breast (trim the skewers, if needed), season with black pepper, squeeze over the juice of ½ a lemon and drizzle with ½ a tablespoon of olive oil.

4. You can cook the skewers on a hot barbecue or in a non-stick frying pan on the hob. Either way, cook them for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through, turning regularly. For the final minute of cooking, use the rosemary sprigs to brush the honey over the chicken, giving it a lovely sticky glaze.

5. Halve, deseed and finely chop the pepper, then peel and finely chop the onion and pineapple, and scrape everything into a bowl. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil, then taste and season with sea salt and pepper, if needed. Pick and finely chop the herbs (if using), then add to the bowl and toss together.

6. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, season to taste with salt and pepper, and divide between serving plates.

7. Slice the chicken between the skewers, making sure it’s cooked through – if it’s not, give it a little longer. Place 3 chicken lollipops on each plate, and divide up the salsa. Serve with yoghurt for dipping, and cut the remaining lemon into wedges for squeezing over.