Matcha-smoked chicken with mango rice salad
Elly McCausland uses matcha in two ways to infuse the tea's distinctive flavour into her chicken breast. The meat is first marinated in a sweet matcha brine to lock in moisture, before being shrouded in a wonderful matcha smoke until cooked. A zingy salad of brown rice, mango and lime completes the dish, making a fabulous healthy lunch.
Ingredients
Matcha-smoked chicken
- 3 chicken breasts , skin-on
- 50g of coarse sea salt
- 2 tbsp of matcha
- 50g of honey
- 1/2 tbsp of black peppercorns , crushed
- 1l boiling water
- 50g of rice , any variety will do
- 30g of caster sugar
- 20g of light brown sugar
Salad
- 150g of brown rice
- 200g of green beans , trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths
- 2 mangoes , just-ripe
- 4 tbsp of fresh mint , chopped
- 4 tbsp of fresh coriander , chopped, plus extra to garnish
- 2 red chillies , deseeded and finely chopped
- lime , cut into wedges to serve
Dressing
- 3 tbsp of rice vinegar
- 1 lime , zested and juiced
- 3 tbsp of groundnut oil, or rapeseed oil
- 1 tbsp of ginger , grated
- 1 garlic clove , crushed
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 2 tsp honey
Method
1
Mix the boiling water, sea salt, 1 tbsp of the matcha, the honey and peppercorns in a bowl and whisk until everything has dissolved. Leave to cool completely
2
Put the chicken breasts in a shallow non-reactive dish and pierce each a few times with a sharp knife. Pour over the brine and put the dish in the fridge for 3 hours
3
Remove the chicken from the brine and discard the brine. Rinse the chicken breasts briefly then place them on a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for 4–8 hours (no longer, or they’ll become too salty)
4
Prepare a smoker by placing the rice, sugar and remaining matcha in the bottom of the tray. Turn the heat on
5
When wisps of smoke start to appear, place the chicken breasts on a rack in the middle, cover and smoke for around 35 minutes over a medium-low heat. Check they are cooked by cutting into the centre – the juices should run clear and there should be no pink meat
6
For the salad, cook the brown rice in a large pan of boiling water for around 25 minutes, or until just al dente. Drain and leave to cool
7
Cook the green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes, then rinse under cool water. Drain and leave to cool
8
Peel the mangoes and cut the flesh away from the stone. Cut it into thin slices and put in a large bowl. Add the mint, coriander, chillies, green beans and brown rice. Toss together
9
Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste and check the seasoning – you may want a little more vinegar, lime juice or honey. Toss with the rice mixture
10
Divide the rice salad between four plates or bowls. Slice the smoked chicken breasts and serve piled on top of the mango rice salad. Garnish with extra coriander leaves and lime wedges
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Matcha-smoked chicken with mango rice salad
