Persian Chicken

Steps

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to the boil. Preheat BBQ grill or hot plate to medium-high (if using). Prepare lemon. Cook freekeh in pot of boiling water for about 13 minutes. While freekeh cooks, trim ends of asparagus and cut in 1cm slices widthways on an angle. After freekeh has cooked for 13 minutes, add asparagus and cook for 1-2 minutes until freekeh is tender with a slight bite and asparagus is bright green and tender. Drain well, rinse under cold water and leave to drain well.
2. While freekeh cooks, prepare salad vegetables. Roughly chop barberries; peel carrots into ribbons and thinly slice cores; dice tomato 1cm; finely chop parsley and mint. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large fry-pan on medium-high heat. Pat chicken dry, and rub in Persian spice mix and salt.
4. Add chicken to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on first side. Flip and add chopped walnuts to pan. Stir walnuts regularly to prevent them burning and continue to cook chicken and walnuts for 2-3 minutes (depending on thickness), or until cooked through. Set aside, covered, to rest before slicing. Reserve any resting juices and reserve walnuts for serving. Alternatively, cook on BBQ and toast walnuts on grill plate turning regularly.
5. Once freekeh and asparagus are cooked, add them to a large bowl along with all remaining freekeh salad ingredients. Toss well to combine and season to taste.
6. TO SERVE divide freekeh salad between plates. Top with Persian chicken, drizzle over any resting juices and sprinkle over chopped walnuts. Squeeze over a lemon wedge.