Griddled Chicken Breast, Saffron Tangelo Wedges with Syrup
Fennel , Cilantro, Basil, Mint with Lime Vinaigrette
Minneola Tangelo Branch of Citrus Salad Tree
Planted in 2008, my Citrus Salad Tree is now bursting with ripe fruits. This is a citrus tree that has 5 varieties of fruit grafted onto one trunk; Persian Lime, Valencia Orange, Honey Mandarin, Late Lane Navel Orange, and Minneola Tangelo. The juicy bell-shaped tangelo, also called a honeybell, has a very sweet flavor with a thin peel. The Minneola is a cross between a Duncan grapefruit and a Dancy tangerine, developed by the USDA in 1931.
I adapted this bright colorful chicken dish from Yotam Ottolenghi’s “saffron chicken & herb salad” featured in the cookbook, Jerusalem, to incorporate tangelos and limes from my tree. Ottolenghi blitzes his orange syrup into a paste, using a food processor. I thought the tangelo wedges added texture and color to the dish, so I left them intact. The sunny citrusy honey saffron flavors shine, either way…
Saffron Tangelo Syrup Recipe
- 1 tangelo
- 3 T. honey
- 1 1/2 T. apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 t. saffron threads, slightly crushed
- water
Trim the top and bottom from the tangelo. cut it into small wedges. Some tangelos have seeds, other do not. If there are seeds, remove them. Place in a small saucepan with honey and saffron plus just enough water to cover the fruit. Bring to a boil then simmer gently for one hour, add more water if necessary. The result should be a thick fragrant syrup with soft tangelo wedges.
Fennel Herb Salad & Griddled Chicken Recipes
Salad
- fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- cilantro leaves
- basil leaves, torn
- mint leaves, torn
- red chile, thinly sliced
Place all ingredients in a bowl. Reserve some herbs for garnish.
Lime Vinaigrette
- 2 T. lime juice
- 2 T. olive oil
- 1 garlic clove minced
- Salt, fresh ground pepper
Whisk ingredients together for the vinaigrette. Toss salad with just enough dressing to coat.
Griddled Chicken Breast
- boneless, skinless chicken breast
- olive oil
- salt, fresh ground pepper
Rinse chicken breast and pat dry with paper towels. Coat lightly with olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Let chicken come to near room temperature. Place on a panini maker heated to medium-high. Press down on the lid to somewhat flatten the chicken, press down occasionally while cooking. Continue to cook until the exterior has nice golden colored ridges and the interior is just cooked through.
Chasing Away the Winter Blues
Arrange the salad on a platter, place chicken breast over the salad. Spoon tangelo wedges and syrup over the chicken. Garnish with herbs.
What a great idea to cook the chicken in the panini maker – and to infuse the oranges with the saffron. That’s one beautiful, delicious and healthy dish you’ve got.
This is a great inspiration for the summer months when you want to eat fresh and light! I love the idea of mixing the oranges with saffron as well as using the combination of mint, basil and cilantro which go so well together. My only modification would be to slice the chicken breast diagonally to make it easier to cut after served. Too bad I cant’ have a citrus salad tree like yours becuse it sounds magical!
The chicken! The saffron! Those mineolas! I see winter melting away. Bookmarked.
One of these days I am going to have a grafted citrus tree, the idea of it, just blows my mind. This salad sounds amazing! The medley of vegetables, chicken and this exotic syrup makes this one of the most elegant salads I’ve seen.
[I am smiling!] What a beautiful take on a very simple recipe! Look at the ingredients 🙂 ! But every part has just that tad special and different and look how beautifully it does photograph and entice . . .
Absolutely gorgeous! I love all of the flavors in this GREAT salad, and I really love how that chicken looks.
Oh my!!! To heck with breakfast – I want to just jump straight to dinner and eat this! The tangelo syrup was enough for me, but then you put it over this wonderful chicken and salad. This is definitely a keeper!
WOW. First, I am crazy jealous of your tree. Fantastic. Second, what a lovely recipe and the salad looks particularly delish. Also: That tree!!!
Lovely! Citrus and fennel is such a perfect combination 🙂
I have the same griddle yet I’ve never made anything that’s so fancy and beautiful food like you made! 😉 I love the citrus flavor of any kind. This looks like a great salad!