To make our grain salad, hearty farro, tender bites of kale, and pickled peppers are brought together by a touch of crème fraîche. It all makes for a hearty bed for spice-blackened chicken breasts.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1/2 c Semi-Pearled Farro
- 1 Kale
- 2 Garlic
- 2 tbsp Crème Fraîche
- 1 Shallot
- 1 tbsp Hot Sauce
- 1 tbsp Cajun Spice Blend (Smoked Paprika, Ground Yellow Mustard, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Whole Dried Oregano, Whole Dried Thyme & Cayenne Pepper)
- 1/2 oz Sweet Piquante Peppers
Instructions
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients:
Fill a medium pot with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the kale. Separate the kale leaves from the stems; discard the stems, then thinly slice the leaves. Halve, peel, and thinly slice the shallot. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Roughly chop the peppers.
Cook the farro:
Add the farro to the pot of boiling water. Cook, uncovered, 18 to 20 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm.
Cook the kale:
While the farro cooks, in a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sliced shallot and chopped garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the sliced kale. Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes, or until slightly wilted. Add 1/4 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring frequently, 3 to 4 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and the water has cooked off. Transfer to a bowl. Cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe out the pan.
Cook the chicken:
While the farro continues to cook, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt, pepper, and enough of the spice blend to coat (you may have extra). In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken and cook 6 to 7 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board.
Finish the farro & serve your dish:
To the pot of cooked farro, add the cooked kale, chopped peppers, crème fraîche, and as much of the hot sauce as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Slice the cooked chicken crosswise. Serve the finished farro topped with the sliced chicken. Enjoy!