Chicken with corn and tomato salad
I was waiting for the corn season to arrive almost the whole summer, looking for those juicy and sweet kernels at every market, be it Lyon, Paris, Annecy, or La Rochelle. Yet, it was only at the end of August when we finally got first of the season corn during our last days in La Rochelle, opening the gate of endless corn-themed dinners, where I made them in salads, grilled, sauteed, and a recipe like this.
In a recipe, that looks much harder than it is because, in reality (not step by step recipe), you put the chicken in the oven and add tomatoes. In the meantime, prepare the glaze, mix all salad ingredients, and voila, the dinner is almost ready.
200 g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 fresh corn*
2-3 preserved jalapeño, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped peppermint
1 tsp finely cut basil
1- 2 tbsp mild extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
chicken:
10 sprigs of oregano or thyme
1/2 chicken (or 4 medium tights)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (or white wine)
glaze:
1/3 coriander seeds, crushed
1/3 cajun pepper
1/3 cumin powder
1 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp mild extra virgin olive oil
sea salt to taste
oven tomatoes:
250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
pinch of sea salt
10 ml mild extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
sugar if needed (if tomatoes are not so sweet)
Heat the oven 190° C hot. Place herbs in the pan and sit the chicken or tights on. Brush with vinegar and place in the oven to roast for 40 minutes (chicken) or 25 minutes tights.
Mix all the oven tomato ingredients in a pan and place all the tomatoes cut side up. Put the pan in the oven next to the chicken and cook for 20 - 25 minutes or until they start to shrink yet are still juicy. When ready, take it out and leave it there.
When the chicken is almost done, in a bowl mix all of the glaze ingredients. Take the chicken out, glaze it, and put it back in the oven for 10 more minutes.
In the meantime, cut the kernels off the corn and mix them with both tomatoes, jalapenos, peppermint, and basil. Add oil, salt, and pepper, mix and taste.
Take the chicken or tight out. If using the chicken, cut it into 4 parts, put it on each plate, and add a salad. If tight, do the same without cutting them, of course.
* Sometimes, I like to boil one for 10 minutes and mix two textures in the salad.